Alka Yagnik confesses regret over rejecting collaboration with AR Rahman

Celebrated Bollywood singer Alka Yagnik has expressed deep remorse for refusing collaboration with accomplished singer and composer A.R. Rahman, in the past, for the film 'Roja' 's soundtracks.

In a new interview with Radio Nasha, Alka Yagnik revealed that A.R. Rahman approached her to sing songs for the film, but she underestimated him. She said no one knew about him in the Hindi film industry, and he was young. So, when she got a call that he was her fan who wanted her and Kumar Sanu to sing all the songs in the then-upcoming film, Roja, she refused. She was quoted as saying: "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 is a new composer called AR Rahman. He is your fan. He is composing songs for a film and he wants you and Kumar Sanu to sing the entire soundtrack."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VArU4Cut24

Alka added that A.R. Rahman wanted her to go immediately for recording, and she was already booked. Moreover, she had a good bond with composers in Mumbai and didn't know about his potential. So, she said no. In her words:  "But the problem was that he wanted me to come immediately. But, my dates were booked for a long time. Plus, the fact that I had worked with the composers in Bombay so much and had built a rapport that I didn't want to ditch them. Moreover, I didn't know who AR Rahman was. I didn't know his caliber."

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FzVsfIHTW0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzrcJ9gjIzc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD8M2BpSnwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kZ5o-oM0RI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Juu-GCv3U