Bollywood production house Yash Raj Films (YRF) has been accused of illegally pocketing Rs 100 crore by the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS). Apparently, YRF has collected music royalties belonging to IPRS members. Filing an FIR with the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW), IPRS alleged that Aditya Chopra's production house did not let them collect royalties from telecom companies, radio stations, and music streaming platforms.
Now Salim Merchant of music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman has opened up on the entire fiasco and confirmed that the two artistes have refused to work with YRF for four years after it failed to pay royalties owed to them despite having collected them on their behalf. Talking to a website, Salim said, “Yash Raj has been collecting money on behalf of the composer and lyricist – that much I know – but I don’t know whether they have paid anyone. They have certainly not paid me and Sulaiman." Adding that Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series is another production company that has not paid artistes their royalties, Salim added, “I haven’t done a film with Yash Raj for the past four years. Not even T-Series.”
Stating how lyricist Javed Akhtar, who is also the chairperson of the IPRS, has also not been paid his dues, the composer added, “I know Javed Akhtar sahib has not been paid, for sure. Because my last meeting with him... you know he's not been paid, Sulaiman and I have not been paid – any royalties that have come from Yash Raj, we have not been paid." He further mentioned, “I didn’t think like that it is going to affect my career. There are lots of other companies like Zee Music, Sa Re Ga Ma, Sony Music. So whatever music we’ve been doing in the recent past are with these companies.”
Apart from him, lyricist Sameer Anjaan, who is a member of the IPRS, has also said, “T-Series is the other company which hasn’t paid dues."
No response or official statement has been given by Yash Raj Films yet.
(Source: The Quint)
