Sonu Nigam criticises AR Rahman's 'bekaar' and 'average'

Sonu Nigam gave his critique of AR Rahman's songs in Yuvvraaj.

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In a recent interview with O2 India, singer Sonu Nigam openly criticized AR Rahman's music for the 2008 film Yuvvraaj, starring Salman Khan. Nigam, who had previously collaborated with Rahman on several occasions, did not hold back in his assessment of the soundtrack.

Asked about his involvement in the film, particularly his song "Shano Shano," Nigam described it as "pretty average" and "not such a good song." He added, "Let's not talk about it. I won't be able to lie. I won't be able to praise a bad song." When pressed further about the other tracks he contributed to, he bluntly stated, "Voh bhool jaiye aap. Iske saare gaane bekaar the," which translates to "Just forget about it. All the songs were bad."

Yuvvraaj is a musical romantic family drama directed by Subhash Ghai, with a star-studded cast featuring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor, and Zayed Khan.

Despite the film's ensemble and the presence of AR Rahman as the composer, the soundtrack received mixed reviews.

In the same interview, Nigam also reflected on Rahman’s personal nature. He described the renowned music composer as someone who is "focused on his work and prayers," and highlighted that Rahman does not engage in speaking ill of others. "He does his work and his prayer.

He doesn't behave badly with anyone. He will not hurt anybody's heart. He won't speak ill about anyone," Nigam said.

Nigam continued to share his observations about Rahman’s personality, saying, "He is detached to all of this. He must be attached to his family, but I haven’t seen him being very friendly with others.

He doesn’t let anyone come close to him. That’s how it should be."

The interview also touched on Rahman’s personal life, which has been under scrutiny following his divorce from his wife, Saira Banu, in November 2023 after three decades of marriage.

During this time, an old interview resurfaced in which Rahman’s brother-in-law spoke about Rahman’s reserved nature, noting that he does not engage in gossip or casual conversation.

Despite their differing views on Yuvvraaj, Sonu Nigam and AR Rahman have worked together on several iconic tracks, including Satrangi Re from Dil Se and Aayo Re Sakhi from Water.