When AR Rahman rose against Subhash Ghai’s anger: “Sir, you are paying for my name, not my music”

Ram Gopal Varma recently spoke out about how AR Rahman shut down a furious Subhash Ghai during the making of the film Yuvvraaj. RGV, while describing how Rahman is “notorious for delaying in giving music,” stated that Ghai once lost patience with the Oscar-winning composer and sent him a ‘nasty’ letter demanding that he give in the music for which he had been paid ‘crores’.

RGV told Film Companion that Subhash Ghai was making a film called Yuvvraaj. Rahman is well-known for his tendency to delay the release of songs. Subhash Ghai was furious about it, and at one point, he wrote a scathing, stinging letter to Rahman, screaming, “How can you delay my dates?”

He said, “On that day, he (Ghai) went to Sukhvinder, and Rahman was on his way from the airport, and Sukhvinder was making some tune. Subhash Ghai asked him what he was doing, and he said that Rahman called him and asked him to make a song. Subhash Ghai was so angry. He thought because he was putting pressure on Rahman, Rahman was making someone else do the song. He thought that Sukhvinder had told him this by mistake, and then Rahman came and asked Sukhvinder if he had made something. In front of Subhash Ghai only he asked him. Sukhvinder said yes and made them listen to the tune. Rahman said he liked it and asked Subhash Ghai if he liked it.”

RGV also stated that Rahman’s response towards Ghai was remarkable. He said, “Rahman’s answer is one of the greatest I have heard in my life. Rahman said, ‘Sir, you are paying for my name, not my music. If I am endorsing it, it becomes mine. Now you happen to be here, how do you know where I took Taal music from? How do you know whichever music… My driver could have done it, maybe someone else, whatever else’.”

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