Rajiv Rai flags Dharma for using Saat Samundar without permission in ‘Tu Meri Main Tera Tu Meri' teaser

Filmmaker Rajiv Rai has expressed displeasure with Dharma Productions over the use of his song Saat Samundar in the teaser for the upcoming film Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri. The teaser, released in December 2024, briefly featured the opening beats of the iconic track from Vishwatma (1992), starring fans of the song in a copyright debate.

Speaking to mid-day, Rajiv said he was taken aback to hear the familiar beats in the promo. He immediately asked his legal team to contact Dharma Productions and Saregama, the music label holding the rights to several of his compositions. “Saat Samundar’s beats are not there in the latest teaser. I don’t know if it’s in the film. But they can’t use it without permission. It’s becoming a bad trend where filmmakers reuse old songs and claim they’ve taken rights from the music label,” he explained.

Although Saregama owns distribution rights, Rajiv clarified that his contract does not allow the label to license his compositions for other films. He confirmed that his lawyers would formally notify producer Karan Johar and the Tu Meri… team, asking them to halt the use of the track unless proper permissions are obtained. Still, Rai expressed a preference for an amicable resolution. “They can use the songs for TV and stage performances, but not insert them into a new movie. They have to approach me, pay me, and formalise it legally. I don’t like legal battles; they waste time, energy, and money. But if they don’t follow protocol, we will go to court, before or after release,” he added.

This is not the first time Rai has faced such a situation. He recalled Tip Tip Barsa Paani (Mohra, 1994) being remixed for Sooryavanshi (2021) without his consent. After a discussion with Rohit Shetty, the matter was settled. However, Rai noted that he is not always rigid. He allowed Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela (Gupt, 1997) to be used in Aryan Khan’s debut series The Ba***ds of Bollywood free of charge.

Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri starring Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday is slated for a Christmas 2025 release. The controversy highlights ongoing concerns in the industry about old hits being reused without proper clearance.