Ilaiyaraaja issues notice to makers of 'Manjummel Boys' for unauthorised use of 'Gunaa' song
Chennai, May 23: Malayalam 'Manjummel Boys' is the latest to receive a legal notice by legendary music director Ilaiyaraaja for unauthorised use of his hit song, 'Kanmani Anbodu' from the film 'Gunaa'.
A sleeper hit, 'Manjummel Boys', produced by Soubin and Babu Shahir, and Shawn Anthony under Parava Films, is based on a true incident that occurred in the 'Guna' caves in Kodaikanal in 2006. It has been received exceptionally well in Tamil Nadu, as well as globally.
Originally called The Devil's Kitchen, the caves were notorious for many accidents that led to the disappearance of people with no trace. After the release of 'Gunaa', the Tamil film featuring Kamal Haasan in 1991, which was shot there, the caves were referred to as Guna caves and became more popular among tourists.
'Manjummel Boys' traces the story of one such bunch of inebriated tourists from Kochi, fans of the film ‘Gunaa'. Their holiday turns nightmarish when one of the boys falls into the cave. The film ends with the song, 'Kanmani Anbodu', in what is referred to by many as a tribute to the cult status of the song and the film.
Whether it is a tribute or not, when a song by someone is used in another film, it has to follow legal procedures and permission must be sought," said Illaiyaraaja's legal counsel Saravanan Annadurai to PTI.
The notice stated that "it is a settled position of law that where a person is using such original musical works for commercial benefit, exploitation and other business gains, such person is legally obliged and bound to acquire necessary and appropriate permission/license from the author/owner…"
"In this case, the owner of the song is Ilaiyaraaja and ‘Majummel Boys' used his song without his consent or any payment of royalty or license fee," added Annadurai.
The notice calls upon the producers to either obtain proper permission to continue using the song in the film, or remove the song within 15 days of receiving the notice. "If they fail to do so, we will seek remedy under the Copyright Act 1957," said Annadurai.
On May 2, Ilaiyaraaja, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, had also issued a notice to the yet-to-release film, ‘Coolie' starring Rajinikanth, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. The film, produced by Sun Pictures, had used a refrain from yet another hit of Ilaiyaraaja, ‘Va Va Pakkam Va' from 1983 Tamil film 'Thanga Magan', which, incidentally, also features Rajinikanth, in its teaser.
"There's a history of exploitation, many others have also used his songs without proper permission, so yes, they are also being issued notices," said Annadurai.
Despite trying, PTI could not reach out to producers of ‘Manjummel Boys' for comments.
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Drug addiction sign of mental illness, says DC Mullai Muhilan
Mangaluru: Drug addiction is a sign of mental illness and there is a critical need for awareness among students, stated Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan at the ‘Drugs Free India’ awareness program. Organized by the Counseling Department of St. Aloysius PU College in collaboration with the District Administration, Mangaluru Police Commissionerate, Indian Coast Guard, and the Customs Commissionerate, the event took place on Tuesday.
Delivering the keynote address, DC Mullai Muhilan emphasized the importance of counseling centers in every school to educate students about the dangers of drug addiction. He highlighted the correlation between the increasing number of educational institutions in Dakshina Kannada District and the rising supply and demand for narcotic drugs. He stressed the need for continuous efforts to dismantle the supply chain of narcotics and initiatives to curb the demand through systematic education.
“Anti-drug units have been established in 528 colleges across the district. These units operate with utmost confidentiality, allowing students to report information about drug supply and abuse, thereby preventing their peers from falling into the trap of addiction,” Muhilan said.
Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal reported that over 500 cases related to drug supply and abuse had been registered in the past six months, with 400 cases pertaining specifically to drug abuse. He noted that many complaints came from mothers about the deteriorating behavior and habits of their children. Agrawal stressed the importance of self-awareness among students to avoid drug addiction and urged them to stay away from narcotics.
Mangaluru Customs Commissioner P Vinitha Shekhar described narcotics as a ‘social menace’ and explained the customs department’s role in search and destroy operations in accordance with the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She highlighted India's vulnerability to drug trafficking due to its proximity to opium-producing countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. She also pointed out the link between drug supply networks and the funding of terrorist organizations.
District Coast Guard Centre DIG P K Mishra, through an illustrative story, encouraged students to contribute to society by reporting unusual behavior in their friends and peers that might indicate drug abuse.
Fr. Clifford Sequeira, Principal of St. Aloysius PU College, and Dr. B K Kiran Kumar from the Department of Psychology at the Institute of Medical Sciences were also present at the event.
