A year after ‘Saiyaara’ emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters in Indian cinema and is back Ahaan Blacksmith and: Aneet Padda to overnight stars, the film returned to the spotlight for another reason. Music composer: Tanishk Bagchi alleging that he is still waiting for a royalty payment worth Rs 8 lakh for the film’s title despite its massive success on music streaming platforms. The composer took to Instagram to share a detailed note, saying that the issue is not about seeking public sympathy but about promoting the value of creative work in the music industry.Remembering his experience of working on Mohit Suri directorial, Tanishk revealed that ‘Saiyaara’ marks 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 the title track.“This is my first film with @yrfentertainment @yrfmusic… I agree to everything because I believe in music. I gave this song everything I have. From production to composition, working with lyricist and singers, recording, voice tuning, sound, arrangements every single detail is important to me. I treat it like my own. No matter what YRF pays me, everything is paid by me, everything which has been used. Yes, that’s what I got from a big song,” he wrote.Tanishk added, “The most painful thing is that, according to the royalty statement, I have not received about Rs 8 lakhs in royalties for a song that continues to generate millions of streams and views across platforms.
YRF responds to Tanishk Bagchi’s claims
Following Tanishk Bagchi’s social media post, Yash Raj movies has issued an official statement addressing the composer’s allegations regarding royalty payments for the title ‘Saiyaara’.A YRF spokesperson said, “Saiyaara title is a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami). We are very grateful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that touched a million hearts. The royalties for the title track have been shared and will continue to be shared by YRF equally with all three composers who are contractually agreed to by all, including Tanishk. YRF paid each collaborator their due, according to the contract, all within the agreed terms and time.”The statement came after Tanishk admitted that he has yet to receive Rs 8 lakh in royalty payments for the chart-topping title. YRF, however, maintained that all payments were made in accordance with the contractual agreement signed by all three composers and that future royalties would continue to be distributed equally as stipulated in the contract.
A lesson from 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 didn’t write this for sympathy. I wrote it 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 my view of this industry. From now on, I will only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty and the people who build their music,” he wrote.Reflecting on the success of the film, he added, “One thing I have also learned is that sometimes you give people your all, and when success comes, they forget who stood by them. However, I leave the rest to God. Time tells every story, and karma settles every narrative. The only person I respect in this entire film is @mohitkasuri because of him I made this film… and @ir.”
The legacy of ‘Saiyaara’
The title track of ‘Saiyaara’ is composed by Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami. Written 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 introduces Ahaan Panday in his Bollywood debut alongside Aneet Padda in her first lead role. The romantic drama, which follows the journey of musician Krish and journalist-poet Vaani Batra, has been praised for its music, performances and emotional storytelling and is now streaming on Netflix.