AR Rahman makes Padma awardees wait on bench for three hours, Abhijeet Bhattacharya makes shocking claim: ‘Woh nahi…’

AR Rahman and Abhijeet Bhattacharya

Popular playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya recently shared a strong statement about music composer AR Rahman, where he claimed that Rahman once kept respected artists waiting for hours at his studio. While speaking to ANI, the singer recalled the time when he recorded the song Ae Nazneen Suno Na for the film Dil Hi Dil Mein, which was composed by Rahman. 

During the recording, Abhijeet said that he saw well-known artists, including Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees, “sitting on a bench downstairs” and waiting for Rahman for nearly “three hours.” 

Abhijeet said, “Rahman saab ke andar kya hai ki…Maine aise-aise Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri walo ko neeche bench pe baithe hue dekha hai…Humare colleague, South ke writer-filmmaker…Rahman saab utar hi nahin rahe hain neeche do ghante, teen ghante. Sab ek doosre se gappe laga rahe hain. Maine apni ghadi dekha ki jaldi karo. Phir bhi woh nahi utre (What’s surprising is that Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees were made to sit on a bench downstairs…Rahman sir didn’t come down for two or two-and-a-half hours. Everyone was chatting to pass the time. I kept looking at my watch. Still, he didn’t come down).”

“Main gaana gaa ke nikal gaya, uske assistant ne record kar liya. Ae Nazneen Suno Na..ye gaana gaya. Aur gaa ke nikal gaya. You have to believe that ki ye ek Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan ki izzat wahan pe hai (I sang the song, his assistant recorded it, and I left. This happened with the song Ae Nazneen Suno Na. You have to believe that this is how the honor of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees was treated)”, he added.

For those who are unversed, AR Rahman and Abhijeet Bhattacharya have only collaborated on one song, Ae Nazneen Suno Na from the 1999 film Dil Hi Dil Mein.