EXCLUSIVE: “It was a joke”- A.R Rahman opens up on Hindi language controversy during 99 Songs audio launch 99 : Bollywood News

Music maestro AR Rahman is currently looking forward to the release of 99 Songs for which he has turned producer and writer for the first time. During the Tamil audio launch event of the film, A.R Rahman pulled the anchor's leg when she spoke in Hindi while welcoming lead actor Ehan Bhat on stage. The video of Rahman jokingly questioning the use of Hindi and then walking off the stage had gone viral. While it was meant as a joke, the viral video led to several interpretations.

EXCLUSIVE: “It was a joke”- A.R Rahman opens up on Hindi language controversy during 99 Songs audio launch

Days after the above said incident, AR Rahman opened up about the video and revealed what exactly happened during an interview with Bollywood Hungama. “What happened is. We are doing a three language launch. Hindi is already launched and we are coming to Tamil Nadu. So there are certain kind of protocol on the stage. We are talking to Tamil audiences who is already saying that Ehan is very fair. So I told her(the anchor) to speak in Tamil and follow the protocol. I think she wanted to be kind to Ehan and he understands Hindi better and so she talked in Hindi. So I said, ‘Hindi?’ and I had to leave the stage. After that other people had to come on stage. So people put this one and one two and that I got angry. It was a joke. It was not meant to be serious. I think it saved us a lot of money by becoming viral, spreading Ehan's and my face,” Rahman said.

Rahman further said, “I am humbled and grateful to be born in Tamil Nadu and speaking Tamil. Without knowing Hindi, the Hindi audience has accepted me and that for me is incredible. When Roja, released I remember almost every Hindi speaking person said that I loved the sound track more in Tamil than in Hindi. That love and gratitude towards people of Hindi audiences and other languages will never go.”