Following in late Yash Chopra’s footsteps, now filmmaker Karan Johar gets the rights to late composer Madan Mohan’s classics for his next; that too, gets them free of cost.

For his story in forthcoming film ‘Bombay Talkies’, the filmmaker has got the rights to four recorded classics composed by the late Madan Mohan.

Revealed a source close to KJo, "Last time, the late Yash Chopra had acquired the rights to the unrecorded songs by Madan Mohan for his film, Veer Zaara (2004). And now, Karan has done the same and has got the rights to four hit classics by the late composer. The best part is that he got them free of cost."

When asked why such an exception was made, the source said, "Karan wanted rights to four songs, one of which is ‘Ajeeb dastaan hain yeh’ (which is also the title of Karan’s part of the story in Bombay Talkies) from the film Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, 1960. Saregama HMV, the label that owns the rights to the songs, gave them to Karan for free because the movie celebrates 100 years of cinema. It was a sweet gesture."

Karan’s film is about three individuals Rani Mukerji, Randeep Hooda and Saqib Saleem and how the emotional baggage they carry comes in the way of their relationships.

The source then added, "Music plays an important part of the film. Though the film will not have song-and-dance sequences, the music will be a played in the background. Karan won’t be using the whole song in the film, just verses from them."

A film celebrating 100 years of cinema ‘Bombay Talkies’ will see a unique set of directors Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kashyap coming together for the first time for a matchless venture. The four directors will put together four short stories to make one, larger-than-life project.

‘Bombay Talkies’ is set to release on May 3 which is also the day Indian cinema celebrates its hundredth anniversary.