Puja Entertainment Takes Legal Action Against Tips Industries
In a significant legal move, Vashu Bhagnani’s Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd has filed a lawsuit worth ₹400 crore in the Bombay High Court. The suit is directed against Tips Industries Limited, along with Ramesh Taurani, Kumar S Taurani, and David Dhawan. The allegations center around the unauthorized use of songs ‘Chunari Churani’ and ‘Ishq Song Hai’ from the film Biwi No. 1 in the upcoming movie Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.
Puja Entertainment’s lawyer, Advocate VK Dubey, elaborated on the situation during a video conversation with a news agency. He stated that Puja Entertainment had previously revoked the audio rights for these songs from Tips. According to Dubey, “Music companies typically acquire rights from producers. In our case, only audio rights were granted to Tips. However, in 2018, Tips requested visual rights as well. When this proposal didn’t satisfy Puja Entertainment’s conditions, an official notice was sent to terminate the agreement, canceling all rights, including audio.”
The lawyer further claimed that despite the cancellation, Tips continued to use visual elements from the songs. “After the rights were nullified, they should have consulted a court,” Dubey pointed out. “Instead, they chose to keep using the music, streaming it on platforms like YouTube and Instagram without permission.”
In addition to Biwi No. 1, Dubey mentioned several other films, including Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, allegedly being exploited illegally by Tips. He challenged Tips to present their ownership documents in court to back their claims.
Moreover, the trailer for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai was recently postponed, initially attributed to a “technical glitch.” Dubey indicated that this was not the true reason, suggesting it was a court order aimed at maintaining the status quo. “They knew that going ahead with the trailer would violate the court’s directive, which is why it was delayed,” he explained.
This unfolding legal battle highlights ongoing issues surrounding music rights in the film industry, as major players grapple over ownership and usage permissions.
