Just when Megastar Chiranjeevi’s family entertainer Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu started its run at the top box office, it reached a legal speedbump. Iconic composer Ilaiyaraaja reportedly expressed concerns on a certain musical track in the movie which employs one of his iconic classic compositions without explicit prior consent from the maestro himself.
Anil Ravipudi Responds to the Controversy
For the "Mega Blockbuster Success Meet" on Tuesday, January 13, director Anil Ravipudi was asked about the rumored legal notice. Ravipudi, known for his serene manner, said the team respects Ilaiyaraaja garu dearly. "We are longtime fans of Ilaiyaraaja sir's music. With regards to the legal aspects, our production house, Shine Screens, is looking into the permissions. There seems to be a misunderstanding regarding the rights held by the music labels versus the individual rights of the creator. We are hopeful for an amicable resolution soon," Ravipudi added.
The Core of the Dispute
The conflict follows a trajectory in which Ilaiyaraaja has been mindful of his “moral rights” as a creator. While film producers often think that buying rights from music labels (think Sony Music or Echo) will do, Ilaiyaraaja’s legal team argues that the original composer’s permission is paramount to any commercial re-use or “exploitation” of the original work. It is not the first time such an issue has surfaced; cases like Good Bad Ugly and Dude presented similar legal hurdles recently with settlements involving significant compensation reported.
Box Office Performance Amidst Tensions
But even in the midst of all this legal haggling, MSVPG is doing excellently well.
- Global Openings: In its first two days the film also breached the $1 million mark in North America.
- Domestic: The Telugu states have seen a high occupancy over Sankranti holidays and the well-hyped cameo by Venkatesh Daggubati.
Review Lockdown
Surprisingly, on places such as BookMyShow the movie earned a review freeze through a separate judicial order to restrict “fake bot reviews” - an arrangement that has given rise to intense debate from fans.
