Delhi High Court Tells Mask Team to Remove Kannada Classic or Pay ₹30 Lakh for OTT Release

The Tamil film Mask has run into a legal roadblock ahead of its digital release, after the Delhi High Court directed the makers to either delete the Kannada song “Naguva Nayana” from the film or deposit ₹30 lakh as an interim licence fee if they wish to retain it for OTT and television platforms.

The order came following a copyright infringement complaint from Saregama, which asserted ownership over the iconic Ilaiyaraaja-composed track featured in the 1980s Kannada film Pallavi Anu Pallavi. The company maintained that its rights cover the entire song — including its recording, lyrics and musical composition — and accused the Mask team of using it as background music without proper authorisation.

The filmmakers argued that they had secured permission from Ilaiyaraaja himself, but the Court noted that the composer does not hold the commercial copyright and therefore cannot independently grant such a licence. Since the theatrical release of Mask is already over and only the digital rollout remains, the Court imposed the interim condition to ensure the rights dispute is protected while the case continues.

As per the directive, the song must be removed unless the producers make the ₹30-lakh payment to the Court. Without fulfilling one of these two conditions, the movie cannot proceed to OTT or satellite platforms with the disputed track intact. The matter has been posted for further hearing in March 2026.