AR Rahman made Padma awardees wait on bench for hours, says Abhijeet Bhattacharya

Bollywood: Playback singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya has publicly claimed that during a specific recording session, AR Rahman kept Padma awardees waiting outside his studio. The singer added that he was extremely shocked by the lack of respect for the experienced artists, many of whom were Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan recipients.

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, the 1999 film. The entire album was composed by Rahman. During the recording, Abhijeet said 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 Rahman saab 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. Eventually, Rahman 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 Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardees were treated there),” he added.

Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan are the fourth and third-highest civilian prestigious honours in India, given by the Indian government upon luminaries from various fields. Rahman himself received the Padma Bhushan in 2010. AR Rahman and Abhijeet Bhattacharya have only collaborated on one song, Ae Nazneen Suno Na, from the 1999 film Dil Hi Dil Mein.

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