Cinema VinesA year after the film Saiyaara dominated the box office and its title track became one of the biggest musical sensations of the year, the movie has become the centre of an unexpected dispute. On its first anniversary, composer Tanishk Bagchi posted on Instagram that he was still awaiting ₹8 lakh in royalties for the chart‑buster song. The post quickly went viral, but Yash Raj Films (YRF) issued a statement saying that all payments had been made in accordance with the contract, and Bagchi subsequently deleted the post.
YRF’s spokesperson clarified that the title track was a collaborative effort between Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami. The company thanked the trio for their “brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched a million hearts” and confirmed that royalties for the track were shared and would continue to be shared equally among the three composers as per the agreement. “YRF has paid every collaborator their due, as per contract, all within mutually agreed terms & time,” the spokesperson added.
Bagchi’s original Instagram message, posted on July 18, detailed his disappointment despite the song’s massive success. He explained that he had given the track his full creative energy, from production to vocal tuning, and that the money YRF paid him was entirely spent on creating the song. He wrote, “Whatever YRF had paid me all of that nominal amount was used to do the live and mixes … what was left was zero, yes. That’s what I earned from a song so big.”
The composer also highlighted that he still had not received ₹8 lakh in royalties, a figure he described as “peanuts” given the millions of streams and views the song has generated. He added that the situation had changed the way he views the music industry. After YRF’s clarification, Bagchi removed his Instagram post.
As of now, YRF maintains that all payments were made as agreed, while Bagchi’s claim remains unverified. The dispute underscores the complexities of royalty agreements in the film music business.
