Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Jan 21: Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has issued a public clarification after facing renewed criticism over his earlier remarks on the authorship of the Oscar-winning song Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, firmly reiterating that AR Rahman is the rightful composer of the track.

The controversy resurfaced after a video clip from an old interview went viral, in which Varma appeared to suggest that singer Sukhwinder Singh had created the song, rather than Rahman, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for Jai Ho.

Responding to the backlash, Varma took to X to clarify his position, stating that his comments were being misquoted and taken out of context. “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,” Varma wrote, expressing hope that his clarification would put an end to the controversy.

In the resurfaced interview, Varma had narrated an anecdote involving AR Rahman, filmmaker Subhash Ghai and Sukhwinder Singh, linked to the delay in delivering music for Ghai’s film Yuvraj. He claimed that during a visit to Sukhwinder Singh’s studio, a song composed there later became Jai Ho, which was eventually used in Slumdog Millionaire.

Varma further alleged that Sukhwinder Singh was later paid a sum by Rahman’s team after the song was sold, implying a contribution by the singer beyond vocals. These claims, however, were strongly denied by Sukhwinder Singh.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Sukhwinder Singh clarified that he was only the singer of the song and not its composer. “Ram Gopal Varma ji koi chhoti hasti toh hai nahi, shayad unhe kuch galat pata chala hoga,” he said, suggesting that Varma may have been misinformed.

Despite the renewed debate, the official credits remain unchanged, with AR Rahman acknowledged as the composer and Sukhwinder Singh as the singer of Jai Ho, which went on to achieve global acclaim and win the Oscar.