Tanishk Bagchi’s ‘Saiyaara’ royalty claim draws response from YRF, studio says all dues were cleared
A year after ‘Saiyaara’ emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema and turned Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda into overnight stars, the film has returned to the spotlight for a different reason. Music composer Tanishk Bagchi has alleged that he is still awaiting royalty payments worth Rs 8 lakh for the film’s title track despite its massive success across music streaming platforms. The composer took to Instagram to share a detailed note, saying the issue was not about seeking public sympathy but about highlighting the value of creative work in the music industry.Recalling his experience of working on the Mohit Suri directorial, Tanishk revealed that ‘Saiyaara’ marked his first collaboration with YRF Entertainment and YRF Music. According to him, he accepted the project because he believed in its music and invested himself completely in bringing the title track to life.”This was my first film with @yrfentertainment @yrfmusic… I agreed to everything because I believed in the music. I gave this song everything I had. From the production to the composition, working with the lyricist and singers, recording, vocal tuning, sound, arrangements every single detail mattered to me. I treated it like it was my own. Whatever YRF had paid me, all of that nominal amount was used to do the live and mixes. .. what was left was zero. Yes, that’s what I earned from a song so big,” he wrote.Tanishk further claimed, “What hurts the most is that, as per the royalty statement, I’m still yet to receive just Rs 8 lakhs in royalties for a song that has gone on to do millions of streams and views across platforms. Honestly, for the amount of work, time and passion I put into this song, Rs 8 lakhs feels like peanuts. I genuinely believed a song that reached this scale would have earned much more.”
YRF responds to Tanishk Bagchi’s claims
Following Tanishk Bagchi’s social media post, Yash Raj Films issued an official statement addressing the composer’s allegations regarding royalty payments for the ‘Saiyaara’ title track.A YRF spokesperson said, “Saiyaara title track was a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami). We are deeply thankful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched a million hearts. Royalties for the title track have been shared and will continue to be shared by YRF equally between all three composers as contractually agreed by all, including Tanishk. YRF has paid every collaborator their due, as per contract, all within mutually agreed terms & time.”The statement comes after Tanishk claimed he was yet to receive Rs 8 lakh in royalty payments for the chart-topping title track. YRF, however, maintained that all payments have been made in accordance with the contractual agreement signed by all three composers and that future royalties will continue to be distributed equally as stipulated in the contract.
A lesson from the experience
The composer clarified that his post was not intended to gain sympathy but to shed light on the realities faced by musicians behind successful projects.”I’m not writing this for sympathy. I’m writing this because I know what I put into this song, and I know the sacrifices I made to bring it to life… This experience has changed the way I look at this industry. From now on, I’ll only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty and the people who build their music,” he wrote.Reflecting on the aftermath of the film’s success, he added, “One thing I’ve also learned is that sometimes you give people your everything, and when success comes, they forget who stood by them. Anyway, I leave the rest to God. Time tells every story, and karma settles every account. The only person I respect in this whole film is @mohitsuri because of him I did this film… and @irshadkamilofficial.”
The legacy of ‘Saiyaara’
The title track of ‘Saiyaara’ was composed by Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami. Penned by Irshad Kamil and sung by Faheem Abdullah, the song became one of the biggest chartbusters of the year.Released in July last year, ‘Saiyaara’ went on to collect Rs 577 crore worldwide, making it the highest-grossing romantic film in Indian cinema and one of the biggest hits of the year. Directed by Mohit Suri, the film introduced Ahaan Panday in his Bollywood debut alongside Aneet Padda in her first leading role. The romantic drama, which follows the journey of musician Krish and journalist-poet Vaani Batra, was praised for its music, performances and emotional storytelling and is currently streaming on Netflix. Go to Source
