It seems the music company that banned Sonu Nigam last year still holds a grudge against him
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 6, 2016)

Two songs that Sonu Nigam had rendered in the upcoming Lisa Ray and Jaaved Jaaferi-starrer 'Ishq Forever' have had to be re-recorded. Reason? The singer is facing the consequences of his apparent spat with entertainment head honcho, Subhash Chandra Goel, last year.

Sources suggest the film's makers had roped in Sonu for the songs, unaware that the music rights lies with Goel's company, Zee Musoc Company, which has allegedly banned him. The two sparred at a bash hosted by politico Amar Singh last April — Goel apparently told the singer that his channel had created him and he must acknowledge the fact. Sonu then said he has never shied away from accepting that, but maybe, Goel had not heard him say so. Sources say the retort upset the media mogul.

Later that month, Sonu claimed that Goel's company had banned him for tweeting in support of Aam Aadmi Party leader and 'poet friend' Kumar Vishwas, who was embroiled in a controversy for alleged insensitivity over a farmer’s suicide at a rally. He suggested that a news channel owned by Goel may have wrongly portrayed Vishwas.

Says a source, "The makers of 'Ishq Forever' got other singers on board as soon as they realised that Sonu's numbers would not be included in the film." Nadeem (of Nadeem-Shravan) has scored the music for the film.

Sonu stuck to a "no comments" stance while Shabbir Boxwala, producer of the film, confirms the story and says, "Yes, we have re-done two of our songs with Javed Ali and another singer. When we recorded the songs with Sonu, we were unaware of the ban."