Varun Dhawan’s Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai sued for Rs 400 Cr by Vashu Bhagnani

After a back-and-forth verbal spat, Vashu Bhagnani of Pooja Entertainment has taken legal action against Varun Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, putting the film's release in jeopardy.

Bhagnani has approached the Bombay High Court against Tips Industries Limited, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S Taurani and filmmaker David Dhawan over the alleged unauthorised use of songs from the 1999 blockbuster Biwi No 1.

Vashu Bhagnani sues Tips, David Dhawan for ₹400 crore

After a heated public dispute, Vashu Bhagnani’s Pooja Entertainment has taken legal action against Varun Dhawan’s Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, which was set to hit the theatres on June 5. Bhagnani has filed a case alleging unauthorised use of songs from the 1999 hit Biwi No 1 in the upcoming film.

Pooja Entertainment alleges that the team behind the movie has not completed necessary steps to feature the two Biwi No 1 songs. It has asked for the tracks to be pulled from the film and all related marketing.

In the dispute over the use of two songs, “Chunnari Chunnari” and “Ishq Sona Hai,” Pooja Entertainment has sought immediate relief from the court to restrain the release, distribution, exhibition, streaming, and further commercial exploitation of the film, along with any promotional content featuring the two songs.

Filed through counsels V K Dubey Associates, Bhagnani's lawyer told news agency ANI, “We have filed a suit with a claim of Rs. 400 crores to the Tips Music Company. The legal battle has been increasing for many days, and the rights of the musicians were not been settled. Earlier, the rights of movies were based on agreements. Today, music companies buy songs from big producers or lyricists who write or create them. During that time, the agreements with Tips covered only audio rights. In 2018, Tips emailed us requesting visual rights. Vashu Bhagnani had replied to them, but their conversation did not settle.”

The lawsuit also reportedly seeks a title change for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, with Pooja Entertainment arguing that the name is derived from its song “Ishq Sona Hai.” Hence, they want the title of the movie to be changed.

Additionally, the company is claiming Rs 100 crore in damages if they continue to use the song and fail to meet the demands.