Janaki’s son owns copyright of MGR’s autobiography: Madras HC

J Surendran, biological son of V N Janaki, is the absolute and exclusive owner of former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran’s autobiography titled ‘Naan Yen Pirandhen’, the Madras High Court has ruled.

Justice PR Shivakumar, who made the declaration last week, while allowing a civil suit from Surendran, permanently restrained Sudha Vijayakumar, who claimed herself as the adopted daughter of MGR and Raja Rajan Publishers in T Nagar from, in any manner, infringing upon Surendran’s exclusive copyright over the book. The judge also directed the duo to surrender the books published to Surendran and to render the proper account of the sale proceeds of the books and to pay costs to Surendran.

According to Surendran, the plaintiff, who had been born to ex-CM Janaki through her first husband Ganapathy Bhat, his mother became the owner of the copyright over the book after MGR’s death on December 24, 1987. Janaki also died on May 19, 1996. Nothing relating to the copyright had been mentioned in the wills executed both of them.

While so, Sudha printed and published the autobiography and started selling them in 2003. Hence, the present suit filed in 2004. Sudha said that though Janaki became the owner of the copyright, on her death, it would revert back to the kin of her husband MGR and not to Surendran.

The Judge observed that simply because the marriage through which Surendran was born got dissolved in view of Janaki’s marriage with MGR, the relationship of mother and son did not get extinguished. Hence, clause (I) of Sec 15 of the Hindu Succession Act alone would be applicable. Since Surendran was admittedly the son of Janaki, his claim to have the property was bound to be sustained, the judge said and allowed the suit.