Music Rights Dispute and Legal Battle: Producer Statements

Producer Ramesh Taurani and the crew from ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’—David Dhawan and the team—finally dropped the hammer. They responded to Vashu Bhagnani’s claims, calling it nothing more than a smear campaign fueled by personal spite.

It came out on Wednesday. A statement, essentially. They said a series of baseless allegations had been thrown at them by Mr. Vashu Bhagnani.

“It’s crystal clear to us,” the statement read. “This whole thing is a smear campaign , purely personal vendetta. It was designed to derail the release of our film, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai .”

They brought up the history, trying to establish context. Their association with Bhagnani, they pointed out, goes back to 1995. That’s a long time.

“Remember that? When we generously offered him a fifty percent partnership, a producer credit? We laid all the groundwork for that. Coolie No. 1 went massive. It gave Mr. Bhagnani a start in this industry.”

There was a pause there, a kind of retrospective sigh.

“We kept extending support. Good wishes. It was respect for that long history. That’s why we stayed quiet until now.”

But the silence was broken. Bhagnani wasn't letting it rest.

The statement shifted. It became more pointed, more defensive.

“But he keeps pushing. He keeps spreading this misinformation everywhere. Social media, various platforms. And then he decided to file a legal complaint. In Kathihar court in Bihar. Over two thousand kilometers from Mumbai. He decided to go after everyone connected to our film instead of just talking things out.”

Taurani and Dhawan, they admitted they felt deeply disheartened. Disappointed. The tone shifted from historical recollection to raw frustration.

“We are deeply disheartened and disappointed by his behavior.”

They hammered home ownership. They insisted they were the lawful owners of the music. The songs, Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai . That was the core defense.

“We own those songs. Absolutely. We are the lawful owners. We urge everyone not to listen to this targeted negativity. We own the music. This whole matter is sub judice . This is the only thing we will say right now.”

There was a sense of waiting hanging in the air. A plea for the public to just watch the film. A promise.

“We trust the legal system of this country. We have full faith that justice will sort this out.”

Then, a sudden pivot to the audience. A final, almost desperate appeal.

“To our audiences. We promise you a complete David Dhawan entertainer. June 5th. In a cinema near you. Satyameva Jayate . Team Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai .”

It felt like a closing curtain, a final, polished shot before the real mess started.

But the tension didn't end there. It just shifted form.

Earlier last week, things had already been brewing elsewhere. Tips Music Limited had issued their own statement. It followed the pressure from Puja Entertainment, who had knocked on the doors of a Bihar court. The claim? Their films, their songs, all that copyrighted stuff? They were being used and exploited commercially without permission by Tips.

The court stepped in. It granted an interim protection. It asked everyone involved to just hold still. Maintain the status quo.

Tips’ response was equally defiant. They insisted they were the lawful owners of the music rights. They pointed to valid aGreements. They said they had openly exploited these rights for nearly three decades, following the law.

And then there was the film itself. Back in May, another statement came out. Claiming the upcoming film was original. A new story. A new screenplay. Nothing resembling anything else.

But that quiet assurance evaporated when the trailer launched. Taurani, during that launch, had tried to smooth things over with Bhagnani. He said, “Everything is fine. We’ll sort it out. It’s not a problem. It’s sub judice , so we are handling it.”

That, of course, didn't sit well with Bhagnani. Not at all.

He went straight to social media. Rubbishing the claims. Saying nothing was sorted out. That it was still in court.

The filmmaker, he was furious. He posted something sharp. “Nothing is sorted with me today. Saying ‘everything is settled’ in front of cameras doesn’t change the truth. Nothing is over. The matter is in court. The truth will come out there. Not by passing the mic to someone else. Making those public claims while it’s still pending? That’s contempt of court.”

It was messy. It was a lot of moving parts. The legal battle was clearly just the surface. It was about control. About who owned what. And the public was left watching the friction unfold, waiting for the inevitable fallout. The silence was over, but the noise was just getting louder.