(Image source from: Siasat.com)

The argument regarding the supposed "unauthorized" use of Chunnari Chunnari — the popular song from the 90s movie Biwi No.1, which starred Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen — in David Dhawan's latest project Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, featuring his son Varun Dhawan, has intensified. This situation heated up when Vashu Bhagnani, who produced Biwi No.1, filed a lawsuit for Rs 400 crore in the Bombay High Court against Tips Industries Limited, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S Taurani, and David Dhawan. This lawsuit has stirred up more issues and debates as the film's premiere approaches. Producer Vashu Bhagnani, who leads Puja Films, has consistently stated that his concerns are based on ethics rather than money, asserting that he wasn't approached before the songs were included in the new project.

As someone who supports the protection of intellectual property rights, Bhagnani remarked that he is advocating for other producers facing the same challenges. "My fight is for the public. It is about justice and ethics," he expressed. Meanwhile, David Dhawan's Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai has been making headlines for negative reasons since the trailer became available.

The title of the film comes from the song of the same name from Biwi No 1, which featured Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. While the video for Chunnari Chunnari has been released, the video for the song Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai is still pending. The original date for the trailer's release (May 21) was altered; arguments between Tips producer Ramesh Taurani and Vashu Bhagnani have been in the news. Furthermore, online reactions have not favored the new version of the song that Salman Khan and Sushmita once made famous before the Instagram age. As the court prepares to give its decision, let’s revisit this uproar, which is even more significant than the original hit.

The trailer launch for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai was planned for May 21. However, the event was abruptly canceled, with the creators mentioning a "technical glitch" as the reason for the delay. This postponement supposedly came after Vashu Bhagnani filed a lawsuit against David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, and others seeking to stop the alleged unauthorized use of his songs and videos in the new film. VK Dubey, the legal representative for Puja Entertainment, challenged the "technical glitch" excuse. "Referring to it simply as a 'technical glitch' is merely a way to distract from the real issue. The fact is that a legal order is already in place for this situation, and while such an order exists, the involved parties cannot proceed with the trailer or film release against court directions. The sudden cancellation of the trailer launch is quite telling on its own," he stated.

Dubey also mentioned that legal actions against David Dhawan and Tips are currently in progress regarding this issue. "What matters even more is that serious legal actions — FIRs which include claims of fraud, breach of trust, forgery, copyright violations, and conspiracy — have already been filed against David Dhawan and the Taurani brothers. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Udakishunganj, Madhepura, has acknowledged the situation and sent investigation notices to director David Dhawan, Ramesh Taurani, Kumar Taurani, and Girish Taurani from Tips Industries Ltd. These are not mere casual claims but serious accusations, and there is an ongoing judicial investigation," Dubey stated.

On May 23, the film's trailer was released in Mumbai, attended by the cast and producer.
During the trailer launch, producer Ramesh Taurani responded to worries following a legal notice he received. "There is no issue here. Everything has been resolved," Taurani declared, assuring that promotional efforts and the release of the film would continue without interruption. He continued, "And anything that comes up next will also be handled. So, there is no issue. This is a matter that is under judicial review. We are managing it." The producer related the disagreement to his long-term working relationship with director David Dhawan. After the film Coolie No. 1 (2020), which was produced by Puja Entertainment and directed by Dhawan, both parties had reportedly explored future projects involving Varun Dhawan and Rohit Dhawan. However, Bhagnani claimed that plans shifted when David Dhawan and producer Ramesh Taurani started working on Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.

In a virtual press conference, Bhagnani stated, "Three months later, I found out that Ramesh Taurani and David Dhawan had teamed up to create a film. I felt a bit upset, but then I realized that I couldn’t stop them. A year later, I discovered that 'Chunnari Chunnari' was included in that film. I contacted David Dhawan and asked them, 'How could you do this? '" He also claimed, "We sold the audio rights of Biwi No. 1 to Tips when it was released. They were misbehaving by playing the video. They weren’t even willing to meet us about this issue. We submitted a letter in court, which led to the court granting us a status quo." Bhagnani raised concerns about the morality of the situation. "How can David Dhawan use the same songs from our film in his son's movie, especially in a Ramesh Taurani production? There should be some standards of ethics in the industry. "

He mentioned that just a quick phone call could have prevented the argument entirely: "At the very least, he could have called to say, 'Vashu ji, I am using the same song for my son. I hope you are fine with that. Please give your support. ' I would have agreed and it wouldn’t have bothered me." After he filed the initial lawsuit, Bhagnani secured temporary protection for Puja Entertainment in its legal battle against Tips Music regarding the supposed unauthorized use of Bollywood intellectual property. As per comments made through his lawyer, VK Dubey, the court's "status quo" ruling applies to all musical rights, songs, and films cited in the lawsuit. "I think they haven’t reviewed the court ruling thoroughly. The ruling clearly indicates that all music rights, songs, and films listed in the plaintiff's lawsuit are included under the 'status quo' ruling," Dubey remarked.

In a message posted on Instagram two days after the trailer was launched, Tips responded to the claims made by Puja Entertainment. "We want to inform the public about the claims made by Puja Entertainment (India) Limited ('PEIL') against Tips Music Limited ('Tips') regarding the supposed copyright violation and the use of the songs 'Chunnari Chunnari' and 'Ishq Sona Hai' in the upcoming film 'Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.'" The company further stated, "Tips firmly asserts that it is the rightful and lawful owner of the copyrights and related rights for these works. We dispute PEIL’s allegations. Tips wishes to clarify that it has taken all necessary and proper actions according to the law, including receiving relief from the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India through its order dated May 22, 2026. "

The statement ended with, "Tips is dedicated to safeguarding its rights and is actively seeking all suitable legal options with the help of its legal advisors, complying with applicable laws and regulations. " In response to Tips' statement, Puja Entertainment's lawyer informed NDTV, "We have only just discovered the order issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. This order was obtained without notifying us or making us aware of the proceedings. Therefore, we are in the process of submitting a request to cancel this order, as it was gained without our awareness and without presenting the complete facts and merits to the Honourable Court. " On Thursday, Vashu Bhagnani filed another lawsuit seeking urgent and extensive legal action to prevent the release, distribution, showing, streaming, and any further commercial use of the film and its promotional materials that include the disputed songs, "Chunnari Chunnari" and "Ishq Sona Hai."

Speaking to ANI, Advocate Dubey stated, "We have submitted a lawsuit claiming Rs. 400 crores against Tips Music Company. The legal dispute has been ongoing for a long time, and the rights of the musicians are still not being resolved. " He elaborated, "In the past, movie rights were based on agreements. Nowadays, music companies purchase songs from large producers or songwriters. At that time, the contracts with Tips allowed for audio rights only. In 2018, Tips reached out via email requesting visual rights. Vashu Bhagnani responded, but their discussion did not lead to a resolution. "

In a press statement, Puja Entertainment has requested instructions to remove the songs Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai from the movie and its marketing materials, as well as asking for a title change from Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. The production company also seeks an extra Rs 100 crore in compensation if Tips Industries Limited and David Dhawan do not meet these requests and keep using the contested works. Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd claims that the defendants have wrongfully used important intellectual property rights without having proper authority, transfer, or permission to commercially exploit the original audiovisual materials. This film is the fourth partnership between David Dhawan and Varun Dhawan. Starring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur, and Pooja Hegde, the movie centers on a confusing love triangle and a series of humorous mistakes. The cast also includes Rakesh Bedi, Chunky Panday, Jimmy Shergill, Mouni Roy, Rajesh Kumar, and Ali Asgar in significant roles.