(This article is authored by Alar)

The song Veera Veera from the Maniratnam's epic film Ponniyin Selvan 2 has landed in a plagiarism row after a renowned Dhrupad singer claimed that the tune was copied from his family’s composition. The film released on 28th April 2023 and received good reviews, and it garnered 200 crores worldwide.

Ustad Wasifuddin Dagar, the son of legendary Dagar Brothers, alleged that the song composed by AR Rahman for the Mani Ratnam directorial was taken from the Shiva Stuti that his father and uncle sang in 1978. He said that he was shocked and hurt by the blatant copying of the song without his permission or credit.

However, the makers of Ponniyin Selvan 2 have refused the allegations and issued a statement clarifying that the song was not plagiarised but inspired by a traditional composition from the 13th century. Madras Talkies, the production house of Mani Ratnam, said that Veera Veera was based on a composition by Narayana Panditacharya, a poet and musician who lived during the reign of King Veera Ballala III. 

Ponniyin Selvan 2 is the second part of the epic historical drama based on the novel by Kalki Krishnamurthy. The film stars Vikram, Aishwarya Rai, Karthi, Jayam Ravi, Trisha, Sobhita Dhulipala and Prakash Raj among others.

The film has been receiving rave reviews from critics and audiences alike and has crossed Rs 250 crore at the global box office. The music by AR Rahman has also been praised for its richness and variety. However, the plagiarism controversy has cast a shadow over the success of the film and its music.