A year after Saiyaara, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Paddawas released on July 18, music composer Tanishk Bagchi courted controversy by claiming that he is yet to receive ₹8 lakh in royalties for the film’s title song. In an Instagram post, he also alleged that the fee he received for composing the song was entirely spent on its production. After his statements, Yash Raj Films (YRF) issued a clarification, stating that all contractual payments had been made and royalties were being distributed as agreed. Soon after, Bagchi’s Instagram post appeared to have been deleted as it is no longer visible on his profile.Responding to the allegations, a YRF spokesperson stressed that Saiyaara’s title track was a collaborative effort between three composers — Tanishk Bagchi, Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami — and that royalty payments have been handled as per the agreement signed by all parties.“The title song of Saiyaara was a beautiful collaboration between three composers (Tanishk Bagchi along with Faheem Abdullah and Arslan Nizami). We are deeply grateful for their brilliance in creating a timeless song that has touched a million hearts. The copyright for the title song has been and will continue to be shared by YRF equally, including the three composers contracted by YRF. He paid each collaborator his debt, according to the contract, all within the mutually agreed terms and deadlines,” the spokesperson said.Hours after YRF released its statement, Bagchi’s Instagram post was no longer available on his account. The composer has not publicly commented on why it was removed.Earlier on July 18, Bagchi had shared an emotional note explaining why he was disappointed with the financial performance of the song despite its massive popularity. Claiming that they were still owed royalties of ₹8,000, he reflected on the effort he had put into creating the track.“This was my first film with @yrfentertainment @yrfmusic…I agreed to everything because I believed in music. I gave this song everything I had. From production to composition, working with lyricist and singers, recording, vocal tuning, sound, arrangements, every detail mattered to me. I treated him like he was mine,” she wrote.He further claimed that the payment he received from the production house was fully spent on the making of the song. “Whatever YRF had paid me, all that nominal amount was used to do the live and mixes… what was left was zero, yes. That’s what I earned from such a big song,” he added.Bagchi also questioned the royalty amount reflected in his statement. “What hurts me the most is that as per the royalty statement, I am yet to receive just ₹8 lakhs in royalties for a song that has got millions of plays and views across platforms. Honestly, for the amount of work, time and passion I put into this song, ₹8 lakhs feels like peanuts. I really believed that a song that reached that scale would have earned a lot more,” he stated.Clarifying that his post was not meant to seek sympathy, the composer said he only wanted to highlight the effort that goes into creating successful music and why he was disheartened by the outcome. “From now on, I will only work with producers and directors who value creativity, honesty and the people who build their music,” he wrote.He concluded his note by reflecting on loyalty and expressing gratitude to just a few people associated with the film. “One thing I’ve also learned is that sometimes you give everything to people, and when success comes, they forget who stood by them. Anyway, I leave the rest to God. Time tells all stories, and karma settles all scores. The only person I respect in this whole film is Mohit Suri, because of him I made this film… and Irshad Kamil“, he concluded.