'Good Bad Ugly' removed from Netflix amid Ilaiyaraaja copyright battle
What's the story
The Tamil film Good Bad Ugly, starring actor Ajith Kumar, has been removed from Netflix due to a copyright infringement suit filed by veteran composer Ilaiyaraaja. The film was taken down late Tuesday after the court intervened in the ongoing legal battle. The composer had alleged that his old compositions Ottha Ruba Tharen, Ilamai Idho Idho, and En Jodi Manja Kuruvi were used in the film without his consent.
Legal battle
Court intervened after producers failed to submit necessary details
Ilaiyaraaja had approached the court demanding an apology and compensation. He filed a copyright infringement case against the makers of Good Bad Ugly, claiming that his songs were used without proper authorization or royalty settlement. The Madras High Court intervened after the producers failed to submit the necessary details regarding permission for using Ilaiyaraaja's compositions in their film. This led to Netflix removing Good Bad Ugly from its platform on Tuesday.
Film details
About 'Good Bad Ugly'
Good Bad Ugly is a Tamil action drama that stars Kumar, Trisha, Arjun Das, and Sunil. Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, the film was released in theaters earlier this year and later made its OTT debut on Netflix. The story revolves around a former gangster who returns to his past ways to help his son come out of a fake case. It was one of the highest-grossing Tamil films this year, collecting approximately ₹212 crore worldwide.
Composer's history
Ilaiyaraaja's previous legal battles
This isn't the first time that the veteran composer has been involved in a copyright dispute over unauthorized use of his songs. He had previously sent legal notices to the makers of films like Manjummel Boys and Coolie, among others. His latest legal battle has once again sparked conversations about copyright and creative ownership in Indian cinema.