Producer sues to block film over song rights, 400 crore

A major Bollywood producer has filed a 400 crore rupee lawsuit seeking to halt the release of an upcoming film, alleging the unauthorized use of iconic songs. Vashu Bhagnani's production house, Puja Entertainment India Ltd., filed the suit in the Bombay High Court against Tips Industries Ltd., its promoters Ramesh and Kumar Taurani, and filmmaker David Dhawan.

The legal action centers on the upcoming comedy "Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai," starring Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur, which is scheduled for a June 5 theatrical release. Puja Entertainment alleges the film unlawfully uses and exploits two popular songs from Bhagnani's 1999 hit "Biwi No. 1": "Chunnari Chunnari" and "Ishq Sona Hai." The lawsuit seeks an urgent, comprehensive injunction to block the film's release, distribution, streaming, and promotional activities.

According to the plaintiff's legal counsel, Advocate V.K. Dubey, the dispute stems from the scope of rights originally granted to Tips. He stated that historical agreements between the companies covered only audio rights for the songs. Dubey claimed that in 2018, Tips sought to obtain visual rights via email, but discussions with Bhagnani did not...