Playback artiste Abhijeet Bhattacharya took a pointed jab at Oscar-winning music director AR Rahman, claiming that the maestro kept Padma awardees waiting for hours at his recording studio without even meeting them. In an interview with ANI, Abhijeet shared a first-hand experience during the late 1990s that left him amazed by the disrespect shown to renowned artists.
Veteran playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has claimed that during his only recording session with AR Rahman, several Padma awardees were left waiting for hours at the composer’s studio without a meeting.#ARRahman #Padma #abhijeetbhattacharya https://t.co/cH0o3ntFWQ
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Referring to the time he recorded the song Ae Nazneen Suno Na for the 1999 film Dil Hi Dil Mein, composed by Rahman, Abhijeet said he was shocked to see highly regarded musicians—some recipients of the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan—waiting on a bench at the studio.
“Rahman sir didn’t come down for two to three hours,” he recalled. “These were people with Padma awards, chatting among themselves while waiting. I kept looking at my watch, wondering when we would begin.”
Abhijeet went on to explain that the situation didn’t improve. “I recorded the song with his assistant and left. Rahman never even came down. Can you believe that’s the kind of treatment Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees received?” he remarked.
The Main Koi Aisa Geet Gaoon singer emphasized his concern over how national award-winning artists were being treated, saying the lack of basic courtesy and recognition was deeply disheartening.
Interestingly, Ae Nazneen Suno Na remains the only song Abhijeet and AR Rahman have worked on together. Rahman himself is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor, awarded to him in 2010.
The Hindi-dubbed version of the Tamil romantic drama film Kadhalar Dhinam, Dil Hi Dil Mein, had a soundtrack composed by Rahman that was complimented on its experimental and romantic notes. Abhijeet sang Ae Nazneen Suno Na, which was among the popular numbers from the album. Although the song turned out to be successful, the working relationship between the two artists ended with that one project.
While Rahman has not responded to the allegations, Abhijeet’s remarks have reignited conversations around the treatment of veteran artists in the Indian music industry.
