Madras HC weighs in on Ilaiyaraaja vs Prasad Studios row
Amid the legal feud between legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja and the owners of LV Prasad Studios, the Madras High Court has urged the parties to come up with a mutual solution. The court has advised Ilaiyaraaja not to file a civil suit if the owners of the studio allow him to visit the premises for one day to collect his belongings. Here is more.
In its response, Prasad Studios has issued a statement saying that they would not allow Ilaiyaraaja to enter the studio premises to collect his belongings. The studio has denied Ilaiyaraaja entry to the property citing security reasons. However, the studio's management has said that it is ready to permit Ilaiyaraaja's representatives to access the concerned recording room and take his belongings, including musical instruments.
For the unversed, the dispute between Ilaiyaraaja and the studio began after the music icon sued the latter demanding Rs. 50 lakh for allegedly removing his musical instruments, damaging equipment and even stealing his music notes from the recording studio. Ilaiyaraaja, widely considered a maestro, had been working at Recording Theatre-1 of the Prasad Studios since the 1970s.
The 77-year-old music composer has alleged that taking the advantage of coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown, some people entered his room without his permission at the behest of the in-charge of the studio, Sai Prasad, and allegedly mishandled his belongings. He claimed he was granted possession of Theatre-1 by the studio's founder LV Prasad and it continued even after the ownership was shifted to Prasad's son.
Widely regarded as one of India's greatest musicians, Ilaiyaraaja is a film score composer, singer and songwriter who has been been a part of the music industry for decades. He has reportedly composed more than 7,000 songs and provided film scores for over 1,000 movies. Ilaiyaraaja has been honored with the Padma Vibhushan as well as the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government.
