Vashu Bhagnani has strongly criticised the use of the song Chunari Chunari in the upcoming film Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, featuring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. The veteran producer also criticised filmmaker David Dhawan and his son Varun, accusing them of not acknowledging the financial setback he faced after Coolie No. 1 underperformed.
Vashu Bhagnani Speaks Against David Dhawan
On Friday, Vashu organised a press conference to discuss his ongoing disagreement with David Dhawan. During the media interaction, the producer alleged that Ramesh Taurani and Tips Music do not have the authority to use songs from his 1999 hit film Biwi No.1. He further alleged that the storyline of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai seems similar to Biwi No.1, which originally starred Salman Khan, Sushmita Sen and Karisma Kapoor.
Vashu said, “I told David ji that I want to make Biwi No 1. We suffered a loss of around Rs. 27 crores in Coolie No 1 (2020). I was just a namesake producer. It was David Ji who 100% handled the production and expenses. I paid David ji big money to make that film; almost Rs. 70 crore, which was not even his worth.” The producer also spoke in detail about the losses he claims to have incurred following the poor performance of Coolie No. 1.
The producer continued, “It was the time of COVID and David ji told me, ‘Aapka jo bhi nuksaan hua hai, we’ll take care of it in future. Let’s start Biwi No 1.’ Accordingly, we worked on Biwi No 1 for six months. One day, Rohit Dhawan told me that the script is not ready. Since it's creative work, I decided not to hurry. Aaram se picture banate hai (Let’s make the films at a relaxed pace)… I suffered a loss of Rs. 27 crores in Coolie No 1. Varun never even bothered to check ki uncle ka nuksaan hua hai; kaun poora karega? (How much loss did I bear? And who will pay for it?”
Released in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Coolie No. 1 featured Varun Dhawan alongside Sara Ali Khan. The film premiered directly on OTT platforms and was met with largely unfavourable reviews from critics and viewers. It currently holds a notably low audience rating on IMDb.
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Vashu also revealed that he personally contacted David Dhawan after learning that the song Chunari Chunari from Biwi No.1 had been recreated for Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai. He stated that he felt disappointed after discovering that David Dhawan and Ramesh Taurani had collaborated on the project without informing him beforehand.
According to Vashu, the audio rights of Biwi No.1 had been sold to Tips at the time of the film’s release, but he claimed that representatives from the music label have not agreed to meet him regarding the matter.
Details About The Ongoing Dispute
Earlier in 2025, leaked videos from the sets of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai circulated widely online, showing Varun Dhawan dancing to a recreated version of Chunari Chunnari alongside Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde. The clips quickly sparked a major intellectual property dispute involving Puja Entertainment and Tips Music.
On May 13, Puja Entertainment (India) Ltd. received interim legal relief from the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division)-I in Katihar in a case filed against Tips Music Limited and other parties over the alleged unauthorised commercial use and exploitation of intellectual property linked to several Bollywood films and music catalogues.
Following the court order, Tips Music issued a statement rejecting the allegations made against the company. The label described Puja Entertainment’s accusations as “malicious” and “misconceived,” while also asserting that it legally owns the music rights involved in the conflict.
Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, directed by David Dhawan and starring Varun Dhawan, Mrunal Thakur and Pooja Hegde, is scheduled to release in cinemas on June 5.