By SP Balasubrahmanyam’s son, SP Charan, has issued a legal notice to the creators of the Telugu film “Keedaa Cola” for utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to reproduce the voice of the late playback singer in their movie without the family’s approval. The song featuring SPB’s recreated voice plays in the background during a scene in the film.
Kavitha Deenadayalan, SP Charan’s lawyer, emphasized that the family appreciates fans expressing love through such recreations, but the concern arises when it is commercially exploited without consent. Drawing a contrast with ethical practices, such as A.R. Rahman ensuring proper credit in similar instances, Kavitha pointed out that the “Keedaa Cola” team used SPB’s voice without permission and failed to acknowledge the family’s rights.
Regarding their demands, Kavitha stated, “We are seeking an apology, a payment of ₹1 crore as damages, and a share in the royalty. This could be the first case filed against the unauthorized use of AI-generated voices of late singers.”
Expressing surprise at the makers’ denial of any wrongdoing, Kavitha highlighted the contradiction between their statements in interviews and their official response. Despite reaching out to the film’s composer Vivek Sagar and director-actor Tharun Bhascker for comments, there has been no response from them at the time of publication.
