T-Series, Guru Randhawa, and Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. are facing a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by music producer Vikram Shapribhan Singh, professionally known as Vee. The lawsuit, filed in the Bombay High Court, alleges that the defendants used Vee’s sound recordings, works, and performances without proper authorization or permission.
The legal dispute stems from Vee’s collaboration with singer Guru Randhawa, which began in December 2016. According to Vee, Randhawa had verbally agreed to provide him financial compensation, proper credits, and a 50% share in publishing royalties for his contributions to multiple tracks. However, Vee claims these promises were never formalized into a written agreement and did not receive the credits or royalties he was entitled to. The lawsuit focuses on the viral hit “High Rated Gabru,” which Vee arranged and produced but was only credited as a “music producer/arranger” on YouTube, with no acknowledgement on other platforms.
The conflict intensified when a “High Rated Gabru” adaptation was used in the 2018 film Nawabzaade without Vee receiving proper recognition. Vee further alleges that he created and produced around 25 tracks for T-Series. Still, the copyright assignment agreements were never finalized, leaving him without payment for global plays of these tracks. Despite repeated assurances from the defendants, the lack of formal contracts and proper credit has caused significant financial and reputational damage to Vee.
In December 2022, Vee discovered that his name had been removed as “writer” in the PRS metadata, cutting off his entitlement to publishing royalties. Additionally, previous credits were removed entirely from digital service providers (DSPs), exacerbating the issue.
Vee has now filed a lawsuit seeking to enforce his rights and recover compensation for his alleged work misuse. His complaint mentions that songs like “High Rated Gabru,” “Lahore,” “Patola,” and “Surma Surma” have been removed from YouTube as a result of the dispute. In his statement to Rolling Stone India, Vee expressed his disappointment in how the situation unfolded, saying, “After years of exercising patience and restraint and trusting in the relationships I had, I have now been constrained to institute legal proceedings to enforce my rights.”
The lawsuit is expected to have significant repercussions in the Indian music industry, as another prominent female singer-songwriter has also reportedly filed a lawsuit against T-Series and Guru Randhawa for unauthorised use of her work.
