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Alka Yagnik regrets rejecting AR Rahman's Roja song, reveals she wanted to 'bang head on wall’ after listening to track: 'Wanted to bury myself...’
Alka Yagnik recently reflected on an incident where she initially turned down an offer from A. R. Rahman. She later regretted her decision after the song was released and praised the track.
Alka Yagnik and A. R. Rahman have delivered several hit collaborations over the years, including tracks like Ramta Jogi, Taal, and Ghanan Ghanan. However, there was a period when Yagnik turned down a chance to sing Roja for Rahman because she wasn’t familiar with him. She later regretted her decision after hearing the songs, describing them as 'beautiful' and expressing her frustration. “Later, when I heard the songs, I wanted to bang my head on the wall. They were beautiful songs," she said.
When she worked with Rahman again, he reminded her of the songs she had missed out on, which left Yagnik feeling embarrassed and wishing she could disappear. She added, "I wanted to bury myself inside the land."
In an interview with Radio Nasha, Alka Yagnik recounted the first time A. R. Rahman approached her. At that time, Rahman was relatively unknown in Bombay, though he had a reputation in the South. Yagnik received a call from Chennai informing her that Rahman, a young and emerging composer, was a fan of hers and wanted her and Kumar Sanu to sing for his film's entire soundtrack.
However, Yagnik's schedule was already packed, and she was hesitant to abandon the composers she had long worked with in Bombay, especially since she was unfamiliar with Rahman’s work and his potential.
Alka shared that she reached out to Kumar Sanu after receiving the offer from Chennai, and he responded similarly, expressing reluctance to work with Rahman due to prior commitments and unfamiliarity with Rahman's music. Both singers felt they couldn’t abandon their existing commitments and ultimately declined the opportunity.
Reflecting on this decision, Yagnik admitted that upon hearing the songs later, she regretted her choice, describing the tracks as 'beautiful' and wishing she had seized the opportunity.
Earlier, Alka Yagnik recounted her experience recording for Taal with the YouTube channel O2 India, describing how she was called around 9 PM but waited until midnight without seeing AR Rahman or anyone else. She and filmmaker Subhash Ghai spent the time on swings, swatting mosquitoes, and she expressed concern about working late into the night. By 1 or 2 AM, she was worried her voice might be too tired to continue, but Subhash Ghai reassured her to stay patient.
Around 2 AM, Rahman arrived looking refreshed, while Yagnik and Ghai were exhausted. Despite his few words, Rahman’s calming presence and smile left Yagnik feeling at ease, and she found his demeanor both divine and soothing.
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