Tanishk Bagchi’s claim to ownership of ‘Saiyaara’ elicits response from YRF, studio says all dues have been settled
A year after Saiyaara emerged as one of the biggest hits in Hindi cinema and turned Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda into overnight stars, the film is back in the limelight for a different reason. Music composer Tanishk Bagchi has claimed that he is still waiting for a royalty payment of Rs 8 lakh for the film’s theme song despite its massive success across music streaming platforms.
The composer took to Instagram to share a detailed note, saying the issue is not about seeking audience sympathy, but rather about highlighting the value of creative work in the music industry.Recalling his experience working on
Mohit Suri
Director Tanishk revealed that the film Saiyaara was his first collaboration with
YRF
Entertainment and YRF Music. According to him, he accepted the project because he believed in his music and invested himself fully in bringing the title song to life.“This was my first film with @yrfentertainment @yrfmusic… I said yes to everything because I believe in music. I gave this song everything I had. From production to composition, working with lyricist and singers, recording, vocal mastering, sound, arrangements, every detail mattered to me. I treated it like it was my own. Whatever YRF paid me, all that nominal amount was used to do the live streaming and mixing.”
..What was left was zero. Yes, that’s what I earned from a very big song.”Tanishq also claimed, “What hurts me the most is that, as per the royalty statement, I have still only received Rs 8 lakh as royalties for a song that has gone on to rack up 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 seems like peanuts. I truly believe a song that reached this range would have earned much more than that.”
YRF responds to Tanishq Bagchi’s allegations
After Tanishq Bagchi’s social media post,
Yash Raj movies
It has released an official statement addressing the composer’s claims regarding royalty payments for the title track “Saiyaara”.A YRF spokesperson said, “The title track Saiyaara was a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arsalan Nizami). We are extremely grateful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched a million hearts.”
The title track royalties have been shared and YRF will continue to share it equally between the three composers as contractually agreed by all, including Tanishq.
YRF paid each collaborator their dues, in accordance with the contract, all within mutually agreed upon terms and time.The statement comes after Tanishq claimed that he is yet to receive Rs 8 lakh as royalty payment for the chart-topping title track. However, YRF has confirmed that all payments have been made in accordance with the contractual agreement signed by the three composers and that future royalties will continue to be distributed equally as stipulated in the contract.
Lesson from experience
The composer explained that his post was not intended to gain sympathy, but rather to highlight 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 will only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty, and the people who make their music,” he wrote.Reflecting on the implications of the film’s success, he added, “One thing I also learned is that sometimes you give people everything you have, 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 score. The only person I respect in this entire film is @mohitsuri because of whom I did this film… and @irshadkamilofficial.”
“Siyaara” legacy
The title song of “Siyaara” was composed by Tanishk Bagchi along with Fahim Abdullah and Arsalan Nizami.
The song, written by Irshad Kamil and sung by Fahim Abdullah, became one of the biggest hits of the year.Released in July last year, Saiyaara grossed 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 features Ahaan Panday in his Bollywood debut alongside Anit Padda in her first lead role. The romantic drama, which follows the journey of musician Krish and journalist and poet Vani Batra, has been praised for its music, performances and emotional storytelling, and is currently streaming on Netflix.