Shankar Mahadevan says AR Rahman is like a ‘rocket’ in South, reveals producers in Hindi industry are not adventurous: ‘He is more free in South’

Musician Shankar Mahadevan, who has sung many songs in Tamil for music maestro AR Rahman, has revealed that Rahman is like a “rocket” in South. Mahadevan said that producers and directors in the Hindi film industry are possibly not “adventurous enough to accept songs like that”. 

In an interview with O2 India, Mahadevan said, “He’s (AR Rahman) more adventurous, he is more free, jaise khule aasman main, when he’s down South, when he’s composing for a Tamil film. I don’t even know if the producers in Hindi Cinema would be adventurous enough to accept songs like that.” He added, “So he has a certain bit of cushioning when he comes to Hindi. But when he is composing for Tamil, which of course gets dubbed into Telugu and other languages, he is like a rocket.”

Mahadevan won his first national award as a playback singer in Tamil cinema. The singer said that director Rajiv Menon and Rahman played a significant role in his journey. He said that he sang three songs for AR Rahman in Tamil cinema in one night. Mahadevan considers that night to be a significant turning point in his career and an important part of his recognition among Tamil-speaking audiences.

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He said, “So a very important part of me being recognized among the Tamil speaking people in the world, I would like to dedicate to Rahman and that one night.”

Rahman and Mahadevan have collaborated on music albums of Kandukondain Kandukondain, Alaipayuthey, among a few others.