Just a week before its grand theatrical release, director David Dhawan’s romantic comedy Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai has run into a massive legal storm.
In a dramatic escalation of an ongoing intellectual property feud, veteran producer Vashu Bhagnani’s Puja Entertainment has filed a staggering ₹400 crore copyright infringement lawsuit before the Bombay High Court. The suit names Tips Industries Limited, promoters Ramesh and Kumar Taurani, and filmmaker David Dhawan as defendants. Bhagnani is seeking an immediate, sweeping injunction to halt the film’s theatrical release, distribution, digital streaming, and all promotional campaigns.
The Root of Bitterness: The intense battle centers around the alleged unauthorized exploitation of the iconic musical tracks Chunnari Chunnari and Ishq Sona Hai from Bhagnani’s 1999 blockbuster Biwi No. 1. “Very honestly, after this case, there is some bitterness in all relationships,” Vashu Bhagnani admitted to the media, opening up about his fractured bond with the Dhawan family. “David Ji, Varun, and Ramesh Ji were confident that nothing would happen. My heart is broken because after doing so much for this industry, they are trying to make me look like the bad guy. I am not afraid of anyone. If they want to resolve this, I can settle it in 10 minutes, but they refuse to step forward.”
The Legal Fracture: Audio Rights vs. Visual Exploitation
The core of the legal battle rests on a critical distinction between audio distribution rights and cinematographic synchronization rights. Filed through counsels V K Dubey Associates, Puja Entertainment argues that the decades-old music agreements signed in the late 1990s strictly protected audio playback formatting.
According to Bhagnani’s legal team, Tips Industries explicitly acknowledged this gap in their ownership back in 2018, when the music label sent an official email to Puja Entertainment formally requesting the visual and recreation rights for the Biwi No. 1 soundtrack. However, those commercial negotiations collapsed without a final settlement. Because the makers of Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai proceeded to shoot brand-new visual sequences utilizing the remixed songs anyway, Puja Entertainment has served a legal notice completely canceling all previously granted audio rights.
High Stakes for June 5: Demands for a Title Change and Extra Damages
The timing of the lawsuit puts immense financial pressure on Tips Films. The highly anticipated family entertainer—fronted by Varun Dhawan, Pooja Hegde, and Mrunal Thakur—is positioned as the first major Bollywood release to hit theaters immediately following the conclusion of the IPL 2026 season.
Key Legal Demands & Contentions
- The Title Dispute: Because the very title of the film, Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, is directly derived from the lyrics of the disputed track Ishq Sona Hai, Puja Entertainment has demanded a mandatory change of the movie’s title.
- The Financial Penalty: In addition to demanding the complete removal of both songs from the film and its trailers, Bhagnani has asked the Bombay High Court to levy an additional ₹100 crore in punitive damages if the defendants continue to exploit his intellectual property.
- Baseless Allegations: Responding to the heavy litigation, Ramesh Taurani of Tips issued an official counter-statement on Thursday night, firmly denying all claims of infringement and labeling Puja Entertainment’s allegations as entirely baseless, asserting that his company holds valid music rights.
The legal friction marks a painful personal split between long-term industry collaborators. Bhagnani revealed that his relationship with Varun Dhawan had already deteriorated following the digital release of Coolie No. 1 in 2020, claiming he suffered a direct loss of ₹27 crore on the project without the young actor ever reaching out. As the Bombay High Court prepares to hear the urgent plea, the fate of David Dhawan’s 46th directorial venture hangs entirely in the balance.