AR Rahman is now one of the most celebrated music composers globally, but there was a time when he was an emerging talent in the industry. Many Bollywood singers were hesitant to work with him, questioning, “Who is AR Rahman? Why should we ditch our friends for an unknown name?” Recently, veteran playback singer Alka Yagnik shared a similar story of regret from that period, involving herself and fellow singer Kumar Sanu.
In an interview with Radio Nasha, Yagnik reminisced about the first time Rahman approached her. “AR Rahman was a new name at that time. Nobody, especially in Bombay, knew him. Down south, he was well known. He was a very young boy then. I got a call from Chennai saying that there’s a new composer called AR Rahman who is your fan. He’s composing songs for a film and wants you and Kumar Sanu to sing the entire soundtrack,” Yagnik recalled.
However, the timing was an issue. “The problem was that he wanted me to come immediately, but my dates were booked for a long time. Plus, I had worked so much with the composers in Bombay and built a rapport with them that I didn’t want to ditch them. Moreover, I didn’t know who AR Rahman was. I didn’t know his caliber.”
Yagnik even discussed the opportunity with Kumar Sanu. “I called up Sanu ji and told him, ‘I received a phone call from Chennai.’ He was like, ‘Yes, even I did. I won’t sing for them. I have already given dates to others; how can I ditch them? God knows who this composer is. I have never heard the name AR Rahman or his songs.’ We both decided to decline.”
That decision, Yagnik confessed, is something she still regrets. “Later, when I heard the songs, I wanted to bang my head on the wall. They were beautiful songs.”
Yagnik later had the chance to work with Rahman, but the memory of that missed opportunity lingered. “The next time I worked with Rahman, the moment he met me, he said, ‘You didn’t sing my older songs.’ I felt so embarrassed. I wanted to bury myself in the ground. It was entirely my loss.”
Looking back, Yagnik acknowledges the missed opportunity to be part of something extraordinary at the beginning of Rahman’s legendary career.
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