iWorld
Tanishk Bagchi deletes unpaid royalty post after YRF says all dues were paid
Composer had claimed Rs 8 lakh was pending before YRF said payments followed contract
MUMBAI: The music may have struck the right note, but the royalty debate briefly hit a sour one. Music composer Tanishk Bagchi deleted an Instagram post alleging that he was yet to receive Rs 8 lakh in royalties for the title track of Saiyaara, hours after Yash Raj Films (YRF) said all collaborators had been paid as per their contractual agreements.
The controversy began when Bagchi claimed that despite the commercial success of the film’s title track, he was still awaiting royalty payments. He also said that the fee he received for composing the song had been entirely spent on its production, leaving him disappointed with the financial outcome of the project.
The composer shared that Saiyaara marked his first collaboration with YRF and said he had accepted the project because he believed in the music. In his now-deleted post, Bagchi described the extensive work that went into creating the song, including composition, production, recording, vocal tuning and arrangements.
Responding to the allegations, YRF said the title track was created jointly by three composers: Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami. The studio maintained that royalty payments had been structured and distributed equally among the three composers in accordance with agreements signed by all parties.
In a statement, a YRF spokesperson said, “Saiyaara title track was a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami). We are deeply thankful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched a million hearts. Royalties for the title track have been shared and will continue to be shared by YRF equally between all three composers as contractually agreed by all, including Tanishk.”
The spokesperson added that YRF had “paid every collaborator their due, as per contract, all within mutually agreed terms and time.”
Shortly after the studio issued its clarification, Bagchi’s Instagram post was no longer visible on his account. The composer has not publicly explained why he deleted the post, nor has he responded further to YRF’s statement.
The episode has once again brought the spotlight on royalty payments and revenue sharing in India’s music industry, where questions around composer compensation continue to surface despite the growing commercial success of film soundtracks.
