Tanishk Bagchi says Rs 8 lakh royalty for ‘Saiyaara’ looks ‘like peanuts’ Aditya Chopra’s production house issues clarification: ‘YRF has paid every collaborator their dues, as per the contract’
Music composer Tanishk Bagchi spoke about what he described as a disappointing royalty payment for the title track of ‘Saiyaara’. The composer took to social media to share his experience, saying that the financial returns do not reflect the effort he invested in achieving one of the film’s biggest musical successes.
The composer says the song required his complete dedication
Speaking about the making of the title track, Tanishq said that he dedicated himself to every stage of the creative process. He explained that he was heavily involved in the song’s production, writing, recording, and overall sound.He wrote: “I gave this song everything I had. From the production to the composition, working with the lyricist and singers, the recording, the mastering, the sound, the arrangements, every detail mattered to me.
I treated her like she was my own. Whatever YRF paid me, all of that nominal amount was used to do live streaming and mixing…and what was left was zero, yeah. That’s what I earned from a really big song.”According to the composer, the project required significant time and personal commitment. He noted that the financial result did not match the level of work that went into the chart-topping route. Tanishq also claimed that the royalty statement available to him showed earnings of Rs 8 lakh from the song.
He said he found the amount disappointing, given the popularity of the title song across streaming services and digital platforms.He added, “What hurts me the most is that as per the royalty statement, I have yet to receive only Rs 8 lakh as royalties for a song that has gone on to generate millions of streams and views across platforms. Honestly, for the amount of work, time and emotion I have put into this song, Rs 8 lakh sounds like peanuts.”
I really thought that a song that reached this size would have earned much more. 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 will only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty, and the people who make their music.”
YRF says the royalties were shared equally between three composers
Soon after Tanishq’s statements, Yash Raj Films issued an official statement presenting its side of the matter. The studio explained that the title track of Saiyaara was jointly composed by Tanishk Bagchi, Fahim Abdullah and Arsalan Nizami. According to YRF, a royalty-sharing arrangement was agreed upon by the three composers before the song was released.The production house also confirmed that all payments have been made as per the contractual terms. The statement read: “The theme song for ‘Saiyaara’ was a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arsalan Nizami). We are deeply grateful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched millions of hearts. The royalties for the theme song have been shared and YRF will continue to share it equally between the three composers, as contractually agreed upon by all, including Tanishk.”
YRF paid each collaborator their dues, in accordance with the contract, all within mutually agreed upon terms and time.While the composer questioned whether the royalties he received reflected the commercial success of the song, YRF reiterated that each collaborator was compensated according to the signed agreement and that royalty payments would continue to be distributed equally among the three composers.Meanwhile, it was just two days ago when the team of ‘Saiyaara’ celebrated its one year anniversary.
