The absence of Tamil superstar Ajith Kumar’s blockbuster film, Good Bad Ugly, from Netflix India has left many fans disheartened. This sudden removal follows a Madras High Court order issued just ten days prior, which prohibited the film’s production house, Mythri Movie Makers, from using songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja within the movie.
On September 17, 2025, a Wednesday, social media platforms buzzed with disappointment as fans discovered they could no longer access the film on the streaming giant.
Directed by Adhik Ravichandran, Good Bad Ugly first hit theaters on April 10, 2025. The film notably features three classic songs from Ilaiyaraaja’s extensive catalog: ‘Oththa Roova’ from the 1996 film Nattupura Pattu, ‘Ilamai Idho Idho’ from the Kamal Haasan-starrer Sakalakala Vallavan (1982), and ‘En Jodi Manja Kuruvi’ from 1986’s Vikram.
The controversy began when Ilaiyaraaja initiated a copyright infringement lawsuit against Mythri Movie Makers. He asserted that the production house failed to secure proper authorization for the use of his compositions in Good Bad Ugly. The music maestro sought not only the immediate removal of his songs from the film but also a substantial compensation of ₹5 crore. The Madras High Court subsequently issued an ex-parte interim order in Ilaiyaraaja’s favor, primarily because the production house provided an inadequate response to the initial legal notice.
In their reply, Mythri Movie Makers claimed to have obtained the necessary copyright authorization. However, they conspicuously failed to provide specific details regarding the individuals or entities from whom this authorization was allegedly secured, or the precise nature of the permissions granted.
This isn’t an isolated incident for the legendary composer. Ilaiyaraaja has a history of pursuing legal action to protect his musical rights. Previously, he sent a legal notice to Sun Pictures concerning the alleged unauthorized use of a song from his 1983 film Thanga Magan in their upcoming Rajinikanth-starrer, Coolie. He also issued a legal notice to the producers of the Malayalam hit Manjummel Boys for what he deemed the ‘unlawful exploitation’ of his iconic song ‘Kanmani Anbodu’ from the Tamil movie Guna.
The future availability of Good Bad Ugly on streaming platforms remains uncertain. Interestingly, despite its removal in India, social media users have noted that the film is still accessible on Netflix in the United States.