The Madras High Court asked Prasad Studios on Friday to consider Ilayaraja’s request to let him meditate within the studio premises for a day on humanitarian grounds, reported The New Indian Express.
Earlier this week, Ilayaraja had moved the High Court to stop the owners of Prasad Studios from interfering with his use of a recording theatre in Prasad Digital Film Laboratories, where he has been composing music for the past four decades. Ilayaraja also sought Rs 50 lakh as relief for the mental agony caused to him due to the forcible eviction.
What did Ilayaraja say in his petition?
According to the report, advocate PS Raman, who is representing Ilayaraja, said that Prasad Studios studios did not allow him to take back his belongings. Further, he asked that Ilayaraja be allowed to meditate in the recording theatre for one day, as he has spent most part of his career composing music there.
Ilayaraja has composed more than 5,000 songs for over 1,000 movies, mostly in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. He has had a long association with the studios, ever since its founder L V Prasad offered him a place in it in the 1970s.
The studio’s representative, senior counsel PH Arvind Pandian, reportedly said that Prasad Studios was ready to return Ilayaraja’s belongings. However, Pandian said he would need time to discuss Ilayaraja’s request to meditate on the premises for a day with his client.
When did the tussle between Ilayaraja and Prasad Studios start?
The conflict between Prasad Studios and Ilayaraja began after Sai Prasad, grandson of the studios’ founder LV Prasad, gained control over the studios in September 2019.
In July 2020, the music composer filed a complaint against Sai Prasad for “tampering with his musical instruments, notes and valuables” and for threatening to cut the electricity, water, and other supplies. The complaint also said that Sai Prasad had forcibly entered the theatre with henchmen and threatened him for using the premises.
“The late Shri LV Prasad has earmarked a specific area and a room specifically and exclusively and permitted me to possess, enjoy and utilise the property as my own without any hindrances with lock and key,” the complaint stated.
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Further, that he had invested a significant amount of money in the form of high-value equipment, musical instruments, and hand-written musical notes in the disputed premises for over two decades. He also alleged that while LV Prasad and his son Ramesh Prasad had had no issues with him, Sai Prasad had broken open the studios.
He also stated that using the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation, Sai Prasad had been damaging his property at the studio. He said, “I have learnt through my known circle that the said Mr Sai Prasad through his men has been removing, stealing and damaging many of my belongings and articles which worth several crores.”
What lies ahead?
The case, which is being heard by a bench headed by Justice N Sathish Kumar, has been adjourned to December 21.