"That's what I earned from a song so big."
Music composer Tanishk Bagchi has claimed he is yet to receive 8 lakh in royalties for the Saiyaara title track.
The claim came exactly a year after Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara stormed box offices and broke several major records.
Tanishk took to Instagram to share a lengthy and heartfelt note about the alleged unpaid dues.
He clarified from the very beginning that his post was not an attempt to seek public sympathy whatsoever.
The composer reflected on the deep sacrifices he made while creating the song for YRF Entertainment.
He wrote: “This was my first film with YRF Entertainment… I agreed to everything because I believed in the music.
“I gave this song everything I had.
“From the production to the composition, working with the lyricist and singers, recording, vocal tuning, sound, arrangements, every single detail mattered to me.
“I treated it like it was my own. Whatever YRF had paid me, all of that nominal amount was used to do the live and mixes
“What was left was zero, yes. That’s what I earned from a song so big.”
He continued by revealing the specific royalty amount still owed to him despite the track’s enormous commercial success.
Tanishk wrote: “What hurts the most is that, as per the royalty statement, I’m still yet to receive just ?8 lakhs in royalties for a song that has gone on to do millions of streams and views across platforms.
“Honestly, for the amount of work, time and passion I put into this song, ?8 lakhs feels like peanuts.
“I genuinely believed a song that reached this scale would have earned much more.”
The composer also spoke about how this experience has permanently changed his perspective on working in the industry.
He wrote: “I’m not writing this for sympathy. I’m writing this because I know what I put into this song, and I know the sacrifices I made to bring it to life…
“This experience has changed the way I look at this industry.”
“From now on, I’ll only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty and the people who build their music.”
He also shared a broader reflection on loyalty and recognition when success finally arrives for a project.
“One thing I’ve also learned is that sometimes you give people your everything, and when success comes, they forget who stood by them.
“Anyway, I leave the rest to God. Time tells every story, and karma settles every account.
“The only person I respect in this whole film is Mohit Suri. Because of him, I did this film.”
The Saiyaara title track was composed by Tanishk Bagchi alongside collaborators Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami.
The track was penned by acclaimed lyricist Irshad Kamil and sung beautifully by Faheem with a deeply emotional impact.
Saiyaara was released in theatres in July 2025 and went on to become a full-blown cultural phenomenon.
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