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AR Rahman became a national sensation after the success of Roja in 1992. Just a few years later, in 1996, he was invited to perform his first-ever concert at Malaysia’s Stadium Shah Alam. The show featured several singers, but the crowd’s anticipation for Rahman’s entry was unmatched. What they didn’t know was that the composer himself was battling extreme nerves backstage.
In an interview with O2 India, Deepak Gattani, the concert director at Rahman’s debut concert, vividly recalled the moment, “This was Rahman’s first-ever concert. We had planned the entire show flow. The countdown began, and the crowd was going wild. I was at the console, asking, ‘Where is Rahman?’ But he was inside, praying.”
Things grew tense when AR Rahman refused to step out from his room. Gattani revealed how they had to literally push him onto the stage. “One of our team members, Savio, rushed to get him. He came back and said, ‘Sir, he is not coming out. Rahman is stiff, saying he doesn’t want to go on stage.’ Finally, Savio literally pushed him onto the stage.”
Despite his hesitation, the moment AR Rahman appeared under the spotlight, the 40,000-strong crowd erupted. Deepak Gattani recalled, “He stood there, looking down with a small, shy smile before moving behind the keyboard. Throughout the show, he remained reserved. When you see him today, you realize what a huge transformation it has been.”
Just two years later, in 1998, AR Rahman’s Dubai concert drew such massive crowds that police had to resort to lathi charge due to a stampede, with nearly 5,000 people turned away.
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