'We are the lawful owners': Ramesh Taurani hits back at Vashu Bhagnani over 'Chunnari Chunnari' row

The dispute between Vashu Bhagnani's Pooja Entertainment and Ramesh Taurani's Tips over the remixed version of ‘Chunnari Chunnari’ has taken a fresh turn. After Bhagnani claimed that the remix infringes on his intellectual property rights, Taurani and the makers of ‘Hai Jawani To Ishq Hona Hai’ have finally spoken up. Hitting back strongly, the team has called the allegations "baseless" and accused Bhagnani of "spreading misinformation in their recently issued statement.Taurani and the team wasted no time in putting out a strong rebuttal. "Recently, a series of baseless allegations have been made against us by Mr Vashu Bhagnani. It is amply clear to us that this is a smear campaign driven by personal vendetta, intended to derail the release of our film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai," the official statement read.The team also shed light on their long history with Bhagnani, which goes all the way back to their 1995 collaboration on Coolie No 1. "It went on to become a massive box office hit and gave Mr Bhagnani a kick-start in the industry. Over the years, we continued to extend our heartfelt support and good wishes to him. It is out of respect for this long-standing relationship that we chose to remain silent until now. However, Mr Bhagnani remains determined to spread misinformation via various platforms, including social media," the statement added.‘Hai Jawani To Ishq Hona Hai’, directed by David Dhawan, brings together Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur. Interestingly, the film's very title draws from ‘Ishq Sona Hai’, a song that originally featured in ‘Biwi No 1’, a film that Dhawan had directed and Bhagnani had produced. Two songs from that film, including ‘Chunnari Chunnari’, have been remixed for the new project. It is precisely this that has not sat well with Vashu Bhagnani, who has taken the matter to court, alleging a violation of his intellectual property rights.On the legal battle that has ensued, the statement from Taurani and the team addressed it head on. "Suspiciously, he has also chosen to file a legal complaint in Kathihar court in Bihar - over 2000 kms away from Mumbai. He decided to take legal action against all associated with our film rather than engage in direct dialogue. We are deeply disheartened and disappointed by Mr Bhagnani's conduct. We urge the public not to pay heed to such targeted negativity. We maintain that we are the absolute and lawful owners of the songs Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai." With the matter now before the courts, the team made it clear they would not be making any further public statements on the issue, signing off with: "We have full faith in the legal system of our country and are confident that justice will prevail."Despite the ongoing legal battle, ‘Hai Jawani To Ishq Hona Hai’ is set to hit theatres as planned on June 5, 2026.