Vashu Bhagnani and Ramesh Taurani Bhagnani have been embroiled in a bitter legal and public dispute after Bhagnani claimed that Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai makers (produced by Taurani) used the song and visuals from Biwi No.1 without his permission.
Vashu Bhagnani Files Rs 400 Crore Suit Over Biwi No.1 Songs
In a major update, now Vashu's Puja Entertainment has filed a Rs 400 crore lawsuit before the Bombay High Court against Tips Industries, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S Taurani and filmmaker David Dhawan. The suit alleges unauthorised exploitation of iconic songs from the 1999 blockbuster Biwi No.1 in Varun Dhawan’s upcoming film.
'Conversation Did Not Settle': Bhagnani's Lawyer
Filed through counsels V K Dubey Associates, explaining the suit, Bhagnani's lawyer told news agency ANI, “We have filed a suit with a claim of Rs. 400 crores to the Tips Music Company. The legal battle has been increasing for many days, and the rights of the musicians were not ready to be settled. Earlier, the rights of movies were based on agreements. Today, music companies buy songs from big producers or lyricists who write or create them. During that time, the agreements with Tips covered only audio rights. In 2018, Tips emailed us requesting visual rights. Vashu Bhagnani had replied to them, but their conversation did not settle.”
Seeks Stay On Film's Release
According to the lawsuit, the disputed tracks include the popular songs Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai, both from Biwi No 1., the plea seeks urgent relief from the court, including a stay on the release, distribution, exhibition, streaming and further commercial exploitation of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai and all promotional material featuring the songs.
Dubey further claimed that Puja Entertainment later sent a legal notice cancelling the audio rights previously granted to Tips, arguing that the company therefore cannot use the songs in the new film.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which marks David Dhawan's final film as a director, stars Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur. It is set to release in theaters on June 5.
