Avant-Drag! review – queer artists light up the streets of Athens with joy and resistance

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Drag is a tool of self-expression and of protest in this kaleidoscopic portrait of the city’s vibrant underground art The queer defiance of Fil Ieropoulos’s kaleidoscopic documentary manifests not only through its subject, but also through its form. Centring on a group of drag performers and gender-nonconforming artists in Athens, this shape-shifting film celebrates a vibrant underground scene that thrives in a homophobic system, rife with state-sanctioned discrimination and violence. Introduced through an episodic structure, figures from the community light up the screen with their artistry and activism as they carve out a safe haven of their own. In each of the vignettes, we get a glimpse of both the joy and the peril of navigating the city as a queer person. Decked out in extravagant costumes and makeup inspired by Leigh Bowery, Kangela Tromokratisch struts in towering high heels, while her drag performances, with their vaudevillian feel, parody heteronormative ideals of motherhoo...
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Delhi HC orders AR Rahman to deposit Rs 2 crores in copyright case over Ponniyin Selvan 2 song 

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The Delhi High Court has directed renowned music composer AR Rahman and production company Madras Talkies to deposit Rs 2 crores with the court registry in a copyright infringement case. The ruling, delivered on 25 April, also directed them to pay Rs. 2 lakh costs to Dagar. The case centres on the song ‘Veera Raja Veera’ from the 2023 film Ponniyin Selvan 2, which has been accused of copying an earlier composition.

The lawsuit was filed by Indian classical vocalist and Padma Shri awardee Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar in 2023. Dagar alleged that ‘Veera Raja Veera’ infringed on Shiva Stuti, a composition by his father, Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, and uncle, Zahiruddin Dagar, known collectively as the Junior Dagar Brothers. He sought a permanent injunction to prevent the song’s use, along with damages and recognition of moral rights.

Justice Prathiba M Singh, presiding over the case, observed that Shiva Stuti did not merely inspire ‘Veera Raja Veera’ but was “identical” to it, despite minor changes. Dagar argued that the song’s taal, beat, and musical structure mirrored Shiva Stuti, even though the lyrics differed. In contrast, AR Rahman contended that Shiva Stuti is a traditional composition in the public domain within the Dhrupad genre of Hindustani classical music. He further claimed that ‘Veera Raja Veera’ was an original work, incorporating Western musical elements with 227 distinct layers.

The court’s interim order requires Rahman and Madras Talkies to deposit Rs 2 crores while the case is ongoing. Additionally, after initially failing to do so, the defendants were instructed to update the song credits on online platforms to acknowledge the Junior Dagar Brothers.

Also Read: Imtiaz Ali reveals how Kashmiri girls mistook AR Rahman for an electrician: “These girls came to sing chorus and asked who the music director was” 



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