Choreographer and filmmaker Farah Khan recently hosted actor Varun Dhawan and his father, veteran director David Dhawan, on her popular YouTube show. The interaction, which began on a fun and breezy note, quickly caught everyone’s attention when Farah threw in a cheeky comment referencing film producer Vashu Bhagnani. The remark has taken on a whole new meaning given the current circumstances, as Vashu Bhagnani and David Dhawan are reportedly locked in a legal battle over music royalty rights related to their film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, which released in cinemas on June 5.
Varun Dhawan’s late entry and Vashu Bhagnani’s joke stole the show
When Varun finally made his entry on the show, a little after his father David had already settled in, he walked in carrying gifts. But the presents were not for the host. Instead, Varun had brought them for Dilip, Farah’s well-known house help and a familiar face on her YouTube channel. As he walked in, Varun joked, “This is better than Trump’s house. I got something for Dilip”. Farah immediately noticed that she had been left out and asked, “You didn’t get anything for me? You came late”. Varun responded with a smile, “You are not asking why I am late”. Sensing the perfect opportunity for a punchline, Farah quipped, “Did you go to meet Vashu ji?” Playing along, Varun replied, “That’s what I went to handle”. The lighthearted exchange quickly went viral among fans, with many reading between the lines given the well-known legal dispute involving Vashu Bhagnani.
Vashu Bhagnani’s legal battle over ‘Chunari Chunari ‘ explained
The dispute revolves around the film ‘Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai’, featuring Varun Dhawan. Vashu Bhagnani moved court against Tips Industries and other involved parties, alleging that intellectual property tied to some of his biggest hits, particularly ‘Biwi No.1’, was used without seeking his permission. The recreated version of the much-loved song ‘Chunari Chunari’ from ‘Biwi No.1’ lies at the core of this legal battle. Bhagnani has maintained that even though Tips Industries holds the audio rights to the original track, the rights to recreate it and use the film’s associated intellectual property could not have been exercised without his consent or involvement.
Vashu Bhagnani opens up about his strained bond with Varun Dhawan
Bhagnani also used the occasion of a virtual press conference to open up about how his relationship with Varun has soured since their 2020 film ‘Coolie No. 1’. Addressing the media, he did not hold back and spoke candidly about the distance that has grown between them. He said, “Very honestly, after this case, there is some bitterness in all relationships. But Varun hasn’t called me in 2 years anyway. We made ‘Coolie No. 1′ in 2020, suffered a loss of INR 27 crore, he never even bothered to ask how I was doing. If he maintains the relationship, fine. If not, that’s fine too. I lost a lot of money being with him. He is like my child, children make mistakes. Father and son, so be it”.
