'What was left was zero': Tanishk Bagchi claims Rs 8 lakh royalty for Saiyaara is yet to reach him

Composer and singer Tanishk Bagchi has claimed that he is yet to receive Rs 8 lakh in royalty for the title track of Saiyaara. Sharing a detailed note on Instagram, the musician said the pending amount did not reflect the song's success across streaming and digital platforms.

Bagchi clarified that his post was not an appeal for sympathy but an attempt to explain the effort and financial investment that went into creating the track. He said the royalty statement available to him still shows Rs 8 lakh as unpaid, despite the song performing well with listeners.

Calling the amount insignificant in comparison to the work involved, he wrote that it "feels like peanuts." According to the composer, Saiyaara marked his first collaboration with YRF Entertainment, and he accepted the project because he believed in its music.

Bagchi further revealed that the payment he received from the production house did not result in any personal earnings. He explained that the entire amount was spent on recording and production work for the song. "Whatever YRF had paid me, all of that nominal amount was used to do the live and mixes. What was left was zero," he wrote, adding that the fee was exhausted on live recordings and mixing expenses.

Explaining why he decided to make the matter public, Bagchi 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."

He also reflected on the larger music industry, saying the experience had changed his perspective. Going forward, he said he would choose to work only with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty and the people behind a film's music. He further stated that contributors often give everything to a project but can be forgotten once commercial success follows.

Towards the end of his note, Bagchi thanked filmmaker Mohit Suri and lyricist Irshad Kamil, saying they remained the only people associated with the film whom he continued to respect. He concluded by saying he would leave the rest to "God, time, and karma."

The Saiyaara title track is sung by Faheem Abdullah, who also co composed the song with Tanishk Bagchi and Arslan Nizami. The lyrics were penned by Irshad Kamil.