AR Rahman, the best musician of Bollywood and South cinema, was awarded the 7th National Award on 16 August. AR Rahman’s songs are on everyone’s lips. There is hardly anyone who has not heard AR Rahman’s songs. Today AR Rahman is a big name in the industry, but there was a time in AR Rahman’s life when Bollywood’s famous singers Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu refused to work with AR Rahman. Singer Alka Yagnik herself has revealed this.
When Alka Yagnik refused to work with AR Rahman
In an exclusive interview with Radio Nasha, Alka Yagnik recalled the time when AR Rahman approached her for work for the first time. She said, “AR Rahman was a new name at that time. No one knew him, especially in Mumbai. Everyone knew AR Rahman in the South. He was a young man then. I got a call from Chennai that there is a new music composer named AR Rahman. He is a big fan of yours. He is composing songs for a film and wants you and Kumar Sanu to sing songs for the film. But the problem was that he was calling me immediately. But, my dates were fixed for a long time. Also, I had worked with so many composers in Mumbai and had built my rapport with them that I did not want to leave them. And also at that time I did not know who AR Rahman was. I did not know his potential.”
Kumar Sanu had also refused
Alka Yagnik told that after that she called Kumar Sanu. On talking to him, it was revealed that he too had received a call from Chennai. Kumar Sanu told Alka Yagnik that he has refused to go to Chennai. He said that his dates are booked. After this, Alka Yagnik too has refused to go to Chennai.
During the conversation, Alka Yagnik said that later when I heard his songs, I wanted to hit my head against the wall. Those were very beautiful songs. After this Alka Yagnik remembered her first work with AR Rahman. She told that as soon as AR Rahman met her, he said that you did not sing my old songs. Alka Yagnik said that I felt very embarrassed. I wanted to bury myself in the ground. It was completely my loss.
