Chinmayi Sripaada STRONGLY responds to claims alleging AR Rahman denied singing 'Maa Tujhe Salaam-Vande Mataram' in interview

Music maestro AR Rahman has been rocking headlines for his recent interview in which he made various statements, sparking discussions online. Amidst the buzz around the composer, a journalist claimed that in her TV interview once, she had repeatedly asked him to sing or hum the music of his song 'Maa Tujhe Salaam', which he denied. Now, singer Chinmayi Sripaada has reacted to the issue.

Chinmayi Sripaada responds to AR Rahman 'Maa Tujhe Salaam' controversy

Chinmayi Sripaada took to her X account to clarify the issue and shared her own experience of performing with AR Rahman. She posted, "AR Rahman and all us sang Vande Mataram to a crowd that chanted with us on November 23, 2025, in Pune at the R K Laxman memorial award concert. He sings Maa Tujhe Salaam at almost every concert @bainjal—everyone who has attended the concerts knows this. Maybe he felt his voice was not at its best or just didn't feel like singing that day when you interviewed him. And that's OK. The responses under this tweet 'OH THAT EXPLAINS IT' shows exactly what's gone wrong in the recent past."

AR Rahman responds to critcism

AR Rahman, in his interview with BBC, shared how his work in the Hindi film industry slowed down due to power dynamics and possibly a "communal thing." His remarks received comments from people of the fraternity. Celebs like Javed Akhtar, Anup Jalota, Shobhaa De, Hariharan, Leslie Lewis, Javed Akhtar, and Paresh Rawal have reacted to Rahman's comments.




In a new video, AR Rahman addressed the issue, sharing that India has always been at the heart of his life and creativity. In the video, he added, "India is my inspiration, my teacher, and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt."

Take a look.

Meanwhile, in Bollywood, AR Rahman recently composed the music of Laxman Utekar's 'Chhaava'. It was released in theaters last year.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”