EXCLUSIVE| Sukhwinder Singh refutes the assertion made by Ram Gopal Varma that he, not AR Rahman, wrote Jai Ho: I just sang it.

AR Rahman

In an exclusive interview with HT City, singer Sukhwinder Singh refutes rumors that he wrote the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire song Jai Ho.

Sukhwinder Singh

Jai Ho was composed by who? Considering that maestro AR Rahman has always been given credit, one never imagined there would be a discussion of this nature. However, the internet was perplexed by sensationalist statements made by filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma in a recent interview.

He said that Rahman only received credit for ghostwriting the song, with singer Sukhwinder Singh—who has also sung Jai Ho—composing the song. However, after HT City contacted Singh directly, he categorically denied this assertion. Jai Ho was first written for Yuvvraaj (2008), a Salman Khan film directed by Subhash Ghai.

"I have merely sang the song; AR Rahman wrote the composition. "Rahman liked this song that Gulzar sahab had written, Ram Gopal Varma ji koi chhoti hasti toh nahi hain, shayad unhe kuchh galat pata chala hoga," he begins. He then finished it at my Mumbai studio located in Juhu. He forced Subhash ji to hear it. Up until then, I had not sang the song."

He praises the song and says, "Ghai, he didn't want it for his film." "He said that since the character he intended a song for had turned bad in the narrative, it wasn't appropriate. He desired a tune with more masaledaar. Rahman claimed that this was good even after he told him. Subhash ji responded, "Poora gaana hi alag chahiye," but I agreed and said, "Thode changes kar do." Then Rahman departed, too. I felt depressed. I asked Gulzar sahab to come back for ten or fifteen minutes. He questioned why, and I said, "Let me try singing; he wrote it so well." Naachte kudte gaa diya maine diya. That Jai Ho that you hear today was the identical one. I sent it to Rahman sahab, who forwarded it to Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle. In addition, Rahman fulfilled his pledge by giving Subhash ji another song for Yuvvraaj," he says.

Singh believes that a different choice would have been taken if he had sang and then forced Subhash ji to listen to Jai Ho. "Asar hota hai bhai awaaz ka." Danny Boyle's career has taken a turn for the worst. Shayad kisi film mein kaam aa jaaye, maine mauj ke liye gaake Rahman ko bheja tha, gaate huye thoda bauahut tadka toh khud lagana hi padhta hai. Shayad lagta hai mujhko lagta hai toh baat alag hoti Subhash ji ko gaake sunaya hota. He smiles, "Aadhe ghante mein I had recorded Jai Ho."