Ram Gopal Verma backtracks on Jai Ho claims, calls AR Rahman “greatest composer”

Director Ram Gopal Varma has clarified his earlier comments about the Oscar-winning song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, after an old interview resurfaced online. In the clip, Varma had suggested that singer Sukhwinder Singh, rather than composer AR Rahman, was behind the track, sparking renewed debate over its authorship.

Responding to the discussions on social media, Varma wrote on X, “To all concerned .. I am being misquoted and misread out of context in the matter of the Jai ho song .. in my view @arrahman is the greatest composer and the nicest human being I ever met and he’s the last person to take away anybody’s credit ..I hope this puts an end to the negativism surrounding the issue.”

The interview, which resurfaced recently, featured Varma recalling interactions between AR Rahman, filmmaker Subhash Ghai, and Sukhwinder Singh. He described how Rahman, delayed in delivering music for Ghai’s film Yuvraj, had to travel to Sukhwinder Singh’s studio in Bombay to record a track.

Varma recounted, “Rahman was doing a film called Yuvraj for Subhash Ghai. He is notorious for delays. Subhash Ghai messaged Rahman. He said, 'I have dates for Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif. I have a set. If you don't give me songs, what will happen?'… Rahman came in and said, 'hi, hi', asked Sukhwinder right in front of Subhash Ghai, 'Did you compose (the song)?' Sukhwinder said yes, played a song, and Rahman said he liked it and asked if Subhash liked it. Subhash got angry and started shouting at Rahman…”

Varma further described how Rahman clarified his professional role, stating, “Point no. 1, you are paying me to say Music by AR Rahman. Point 2, tell me if you like it or not. If you don't like it, I'll do another thing.” According to Varma, Rahman later asked Sukhwinder to complete the track, which was then used in Slumdog Millionaire.

Following the resurfaced clip, Sukhwinder Singh denied Varma’s claims in an interview with Hindustan Times, saying, “I have only sung it. Ram Gopal Varma ji koi chhoti hasti toh hai nahi, shayad unhe kuch galat pata chala hoga.”

While the debate stirred discussion online, AR Rahman remains credited as the composer of Jai Ho, with Sukhwinder Singh acknowledged as the singer of the Academy Award-winning song.