When Alka Yagnik asked, "Kaun AR Rahman?' when she rejected his offer to sing for 'Roja'; calls it the biggest mistake of her career

Not many people are aware that Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu were offered to sing the songs of 'Roja'. The album was composed by AR Rahman and is considered one of his most iconic albums. But it was Rahman's debut film as a composer and people weren't aware of the genuis he was at that point.

So, when Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu got calls from Rahman's office to come and sing for 'Roja', they rejected the offer because they didn't know who Rahman was. Alka said in an interview with O2India that she called Sanu and he also said he was offered to sing for the male part. Alka asked him if he would go and he said, he won't go because pataa nahi kaun hai. They called each other and asked, 'Kaun AR Rahman?'

Later when Alka heard the album of 'Roja' on radio, she regretted not doing it. She confessed in an interview last year that it's probably the biggest mistake of her career. AR Rahman also never let her forget that. Every time they worked together or met, he would remind her that she didn't sing the songs of 'Roja' for him.

Alka sang for Rahman for songs like 'Taal se Taal Mila' and 'Ramta Jogi'.

'Roja' which starred Arvind Swamy and Madhoo was directed by Mani Ratnam. Rahman won several awards for the best music director for the film. Later, singers like Hariharan, Chitra and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam had lent their voices to the beautiful songs of 'Roja'.