The Madras High Court has quashed the case that was filed in 2015 against Tamil actor Silambarasan TR over the controversial Beep Song and its alleged misogynistic lyrics.
The case dates back seven years, when a song by the actor and music composer Anirudh Ravichander, which later came to be known as Beep Song, found its way to social media. The song, whose lyrics contained several slang and cuss words, became a viral hit and many groups took offence to the content of the song.
In his defence, Silambarasan had said that the song was a private composition and was never meant to be released online. He further added that he was not answerable to anybody as the song was composed when he and the composer were jamming together during their leisure time. The actor had later also clarified that Anirudh had no connection with the song and requested the media to not involve the composer in the issue.
However, a case was booked against the actor and the composer in 2015, after members of the All India Democratic Women’s Association from Coimbatore filed a complaint against them for tarnishing the image of women through Beep Song.
Following this, Silambarasan had first sought an exemption from appearing in person for the trial. Later, the actor approached the Madras HC to have the proceedings quashed. He had argued that his right to privacy had been compromised by an unknown third party with an underlying motive, who had created the track by embedding lyrics without his knowledge or consent.
When the case was heard on Wednesday, the High Court dismissed the case against Silambarasan, citing that the Coimbatore court’s inquiry report had no evidence in the complaint against the actor.
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It is to be noted that Beep Song is not the only track from the actor-lyricist containing problematic lines about women. Other songs of Silambarasan, such as Loosu Penne from the film Vallavan, Evandi Unna Pethan from Vaanam, and Trend Song from the film Anbanavan Asaradhavan Adangadhavan, have also been called out for their provocative lyrics and have sparked controversies in the past.