‘Why Go To Bihar?’ Kumar Taurani Questions Vashu Bhagnani’s Court Move Over Chunari Chunari Song Rights Dispute

Kumar Taurani has hit back at producer Vashu Bhagnani for taking Tips Music to a court in Bihar over the alleged unauthorised use of the song Chunari Chunari, arguing that the dispute belongs in Mumbai. Taurani, Chairman and Managing Director of Tips Music, said the relevant jurisdiction in his dealings with the company has always been Mumbai.

Taurani questions Bhagnani's Bihar court move

He questioned why Bhagnani chose a distant court in Bihar and said the matter has now been pushed back to Mumbai. “Why go to Bihar?” Kumar said on a recent podcast, referring to the case over the alleged use of songs linked to David Dhawan’s Biwi No. 1.

The legal clash centres on old music rights and has now widened into a jurisdiction fight. Taurani has also pointed to the pair’s long industry relationship and a later rights deal over songs used in the 2020 remake of Coolie No. 1.

Court jurisdiction fight

Taurani said his contracts leave no room for doubt. “We’ve mentioned in all our contracts that Mumbai is the jurisdiction. Whatever case you file, you can file it only in Mumbai,” Kumar said on the podcast Game Changers.

He added that the rights in question go back 15 to 20 years. Yet, Taurani said, Bhagnani did not act for all that time and has now filed a case in Bihar in a court around 200 to 300 km away from Patna. He said Bhagnani has filed “two to three cases like that”.

Taurani said higher courts have already intervened. “Thankfully, we got proper relief from both high courts and the Supreme Court. Everybody has pushed him to go and fight in Mumbai, if you have any grudge,” Kumar said.

Taurani and Bhagnani's dispute

The dispute comes after decades of professional ties. “We have such old relations with Vashu. It was us who brought him into the music business from his plastic business,” Kumar said.

Taurani recalled that Bhagnani, a school dropout, was involved in a manufacturing business after moving to Mumbai. He said Tips Industries Ltd helped him become a producer with David Dhawan’s 1995 hit comedy Coolie No. 1, which starred Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. Bhagnani produced the film under his banner Pooja Films.

The arrangement did not last in its original form. For David Dhawan’s 1997 hit rom-com Hero No. 1, Bhagnani moved his distribution from Tips Industries Ltd to SK Enterprise Ltd, though the Taurani brothers continued as music partners on his later films. “He said he wants to produce it alone. We said, ‘That’s a good thing. You should move ahead.’ Then we bought his music,” Kumar said.

About song rights dispute

Bhagnani has sued Tips Music over the alleged unauthorised use of Chunari Chunari and Ishq Sona Hai from David Dhawan’s 1999 romantic comedy "Biwi No. 1" in Dhawan’s rom-com Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai earlier this year.

He said Bhagnani approached Tips for permission to use two songs from Coolie No. 1 in David Dhawan’s 2020 remake, which starred Varun Dhawan and Sara Ali Khan. That film used Husn Hai Suhaana and Mirchi Lagi Toh.

“He made Coolie No. 1 on Amazon, where we had rights of two of the songs. He asked to use the two songs, and we cracked a proper deal. Now, he’s forgotten he had sold his rights to us,” Kumar said.

Taurani said the lawsuit has created "some distance" between them. Bhagnani has objected to the use of the Biwi No. 1 songs in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, a film produced by Tips Industries Ltd and also starring Varun Dhawan. He has also moved the Bombay High Court with a ₹400 crore suit against Tips Music.