Prasad Studios has filed a counter case against Ilaiyaraaja, the renowned music composer, only days after the Madras High Court asked the studios to consider his request to let him meditate within the studio premises for a day on humanitarian grounds, reported The Times of India on Monday.
According to a press note, cited in the Times of India, the studio says it will not allow the composer within the premises if his intention is to compose music. Although the studio was unavailable for comment, reports suggest that Ilaiyaraaja’s instruments were damaged when the management began the process of demolishing the chamber.
Ilaiyaraaja’s publicity manager Diamond Babu said that Ilaiyaraaja’s comments would be reserved until the case was in court.
The conflict between Prasad Studios and Ilaiyaraaja began after Sai Prasad, grandson of founder LV Prasad, gained control over the studios in September 2019.
Earlier this month, Ilaiyaraaja moved the High Court to stop the owners 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. Ilaiyaraaja also sought Rs 50 lakh as relief for the mental agony caused to him due to the forcible eviction.
In his petition, advocate PS Raman, who is representing Ilaiyaraaja, had said that Prasad Studios did not allow him to take back his belongings. Further, he asked that Ilaiyaraaja be allowed to meditate in the recording theatre for one day, as he has spent most part of his career composing music there.
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Ilaiyaraaja’s advocate said in his petition, “[Ilaiyaraaja’s] primary concern was that Prasad’s men have unlawfully stopped his entry into the recording theatre and to his personal chamber in the recording theatre just from a day without giving him proper time and notice.”
The music composer had also claimed that his personal space within the recording theatre was “broken open by Prasad’s men and [who then] unlawfully and illegally removed the belongings” of the composer “without even giving him an opportunity to take them on his own while he is still having the key to his chambers”.
In July, the music composer had 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.