The rapid deletion occurred shortly after production powerhouse Yash Raj Films (YRF) issued a firm corporate clarification, maintaining that all contractual dues had been fully cleared and that streaming royalties are being split equally among all three co-composers of the track—Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah, and Arslan Nizami.
The Core Mix-Up & The Track Identity
Before dissecting the legal mechanics, an immediate trade distinction is crucial: Clarification: While YRF’s 2012 spy vehicle Ek Tha Tiger featured a popular track titled "Saiyaara" (composed by Sohail Sen), this specific royalty dispute centers strictly on the 2025 Mohit Suri romantic feature Saiyaara starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. The title track was a collaborative composition crafted by Tanishk Bagchi alongside Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil.
The Social Post vs. The Corporate Response
The sequence of events unfolded rapidly across the weekend: The Composer's Grievance: In a lengthy Instagram note posted on July 18, Bagchi shared his frustration despite the film grossing over ₹580 crore worldwide. He claimed that his upfront fee from YRF went entirely into paying for live instruments, vocal tuning, and mixing sessions, leaving him with zero net profit. He further highlighted a royalty statement indicating an outstanding balance of ₹8 lakh, calling it "peanuts" relative to the billions of streams generated.
YRF’s Counter-Statement: YRF swiftly issued a formal rebuttal, emphasizing that the Saiyaara title track was a joint effort between three composers. The studio confirmed that all upfront production fees were paid as per mutually signed terms, and royalties are actively shared equally among Bagchi, Abdullah, and Nizami.
The Sudden Retraction: Following YRF’s official public statement, Bagchi deleted the post without further comment, bringing a swift end to the public standoff.
The Multi-Composer Model & Royalties
The brief flare-up highlights ongoing conversations around compensation models for film music in India:
Shared Royalties in Ensemble Albums: Modern multi-composer soundtracks often split publishing revenues across multiple creators, lyricists, and vocalists. In three-way co-compositions, digital streaming royalties are subdivided according to pre-signed contractual percentages rather than paid out as a single lump sum.
Production Outlays: Independent music producers frequently absorb live recording, studio rental, and session musician costs out of their initial composition fee. When production expenses run high, composers rely heavily on long-tail publishing royalties for net profitability.
Trade Verdict:
Tanishk Bagchi taking down his post within hours of YRF’s statement illustrates how quickly contractual realities settle public debates in corporate film music. While creators often feel that upfront fees and shared royalty splits don't reflect the massive revenue of a global chartbuster, signed multi-composer contracts govern how streaming profits are distributed. With Saiyaara's first-anniversary celebrations continuing—complete with its physical vinyl release at Wembley—both sides appear keen to move past the brief dispute and keep the focus on the soundtrack's enduring success.
