Was first to approach Rahman for Bollywood: Ghai

Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who conferred the Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award on Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman here, says he was the first producer in Bollywood who approached the "Jai ho" crooner for his film.

"Formerly I did not know Rahman but I had heard that he was immensely talented. The moment I listened to his compositions, I kept on playing the same cassette over and over again. Immediately, I called him and said that I wanted to meet him for my movie," Ghai recalled.

"As a producer, I was the first who approached Rahman to compose music for Hindi movies," he added.

Ghai also revealed that earlier Rahman was not familiar with Hindi. However, he believed that music has no language barriers.

"Though Rahman didn't know Hindi, but he had the understanding that music can unify everyone," he stated.

Ghai, who worked with the composer in "Taal", said he wants his films to be remembered for their "musical excellence".

Talking about Rahman's dedication to his craft, Ghai said: "He worked 70 nights on the music of 'Taal' and proved he is the best musician. He is not only a big celebrity, but also a beautiful soul."