Vashu Bhagnani recently stirred the pot at a press conference on May 22, where he accused producer Ramesh Taurani of Tips Films of not being allowed to use songs from his own film, “Biwi No 1” (1999). Bhagnani also claimed that the upcoming movie “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” might bear similarities to his earlier work. In response, a source close to the situation provided a different perspective.
The source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, “Vashu Bhagnani has lost his case in the Supreme Court today, which is why the team behind ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’ is confidently moving forward with their trailer launch tomorrow. If his claims had any solid ground, would the film’s makers proceed like this? Mr. Bhagnani mentioned plans for ‘Biwi No 1 Part 2’ with David Dhawan and Varun Dhawan. But Varun hasn’t signed any new projects with Puja Entertainment since ‘Coolie No 1,’ so there’s no basis for his claims.”
During the press conference, Bhagnani mentioned, “I was just a nominal producer on ‘Coolie No 1’ (2020). It was David who took care of everything, and I paid him nearly Rs. 70 crores, which was more than his worth.”
In a sharp rebuttal, the source replied, “This is ridiculous. Vendors were not compensated for ‘Coolie No 1.’ Bhagnani was responsible for those payments, but the Dhawans ended up paying almost Rs. 16 crores out of their own pockets to settle the dues, to avoid damage to their reputation. They wanted to help those who worked on the film. Instead of recognizing that, Bhagnani is making these public claims.”
The source continued, “David Dhawan was never paid Rs. 70 crores. If that were true, he would have been the highest-paid director in India at the time. Can Mr. Bhagnani provide any documents to back this up? Until he does, these remain baseless accusations.”
The source also pointed out, “He claims the Dhawans didn’t reach out to him, but neither did he. Efforts were made to contact Mr. Bhagnani, but he didn’t respond. Communication should be mutual. It’s odd that he chose to file his case just a month before the film’s release when he knew the song ‘Chunari Chunari’ was part of ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai.’ Why wait until the last minute to raise these issues?”
Furthermore, the source clarified that “Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai” is unrelated to “Biwi No 1,” as the former deals with a double pregnancy while the latter is about a married man’s extramarital affair. “Just because David Dhawan is directing and an old song is used doesn’t mean it’s a remake,” the source emphasized, adding that the trailer’s release would clarify everything.
In conclusion, the source remarked, “The Dhawans have chosen to stay quiet, but that shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness. They’ve acted with honor, paid others when necessary, and kept moving forward. If false narratives are being spun, the truth must come to light.”
