AR Rahman on his colleagues Harris and Sai Abhyankkar as competition: ‘If we do fewer films…'
AR Rahman was recently seen in a chat with director KS Ravikumar for Thug Life, slated to release on June 5, 2025. Ahead of the film's release, the musician was asked whether he considers musicians like Anirudh Ravichander and Sai Abhyankkar as competition.
In response, AR Rahman spoke to Behindwoods TV and said, 'No, I am actually very happy about it. If we do fewer films, we can create songs that are higher in quality. When musicians like Harris Jayaraj, Anirudh Ravichander, and Sai Abhyankkar come forward, I get more time to compose. I can live my life better.'
In addition to AR Rahman's response, Kamal Haasan emphasized that creative people need contemporary competition for artistic growth. He added that this is essential for an artist's progress and noted that AR Rahman himself has drawn significant influence from past musicians.
For those unaware, musicians like Harris Jayaraj, Anirudh Ravichander, and the latest sensation, Sai Abhyankkar, have collaborated with AR Rahman in recent times.
Coming to AR Rahman's work front, the musician is set to hit the big screens with the film Thug Life. The gangster action film tells the story of Rangaraaya Sakthivel Nayakar, a mafia head who adopts a young boy, Amaran, and raises him as his own.
As Sakthivel grows older, he appoints Amaran as his right-hand man. However, when Sakthivel is presumed dead, he makes a dramatic return seeking revenge, suspecting his foster son to be behind it, sparking a deadly game of betrayal and survival.
The Mani Ratnam directorial is co-written by him and Kamal Haasan. Featuring veteran actors Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan TR as co-leads, the film also boasts an ensemble cast including Trisha Krishnan, Abhirami, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Ashok Selvan, Joju George, Nassar, and many others in key roles.
As the release date approaches, the makers are planning an audio launch event featuring a live performance by AR Rahman. Looking ahead, the musician has several projects lined up, including Tere Ishk Mein, Peddi, Genie, and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
9 minutes ago
- Time of India
Actor Kamal Haasan mourns tragic loss of lives during RCB victory parade in Bengaluru
The victory celebrations of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) took a tragic turn in Bengaluru, as a deadly stampede during the team's IPL 2025 title parade led to the loss of 11 lives and left more than 50 injured as per The Hindu. The incident occurred when fans gathered in overwhelming numbers to celebrate RCB's maiden IPL win. What was intended to be a moment of joy for thousands quickly spiralled into chaos due to overcrowding and a lack of crowd control measures. Kamal Haasan expresses grief and solidarity In the wake of this distressing event, veteran actor and political leader Kamal Haasan has expressed his heartfelt condolences. Sharing his reaction on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, 'Heart wrenching tragedy in Bangalore. Deeply distressed and my heart reaches out to the families of the victims in this moment of grief. May the injured recover soon.' His message reflected the sorrow felt across the country as fans and celebrities mourned the incident. Massive crowds and poor planning raise safety concerns According to The Hindu, more than 50 individuals were injured in the crowd crush, with over 25 of them requiring hospitalisation. Police and volunteers acted swiftly to transport the wounded to nearby hospitals, including Bowring Hospital, Vydehi Hospital, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee Hospital. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nagelpilz-Lösung sorgt online für Hype – das sagt der Faktencheck Med-Aktuell Undo Despite the emergency response, questions are now being raised about the lack of preparedness and inadequate crowd management that led to the catastrophe. The joyous mood surrounding RCB's historic win has been overshadowed by this heartbreaking turn of events, prompting widespread calls for stricter safety protocols at public gatherings. Amid tragedy, Kamal Haasan also faces controversy in Karnataka over 'Thug Life' Meanwhile, Kamal Haasan is also dealing with political backlash in Karnataka over a controversial comment he made about the Kannada language while promoting his upcoming film 'Thug Life.' The remark sparked protests and demands for a public apology, with some groups threatening to stall the film's release in the state. Though Kamal Haasan clarified his stance, the issue continues to stir debate, and 'Thug Life' has hit theatres across the globe except Karnataka today (June 5). Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
The Print
10 minutes ago
- The Print
TV news is always enthusiastic about a ‘war'—India-Pakistan, Putin-Zelenskyy, Kannada-Tamil
'Badla,' said Republic Bharat . 'Badla,' said Zee Bharat . Operation Sindoor once more? No, it was Operation Spider's Web. Take last Monday: you could watch drones rise into the sky—as only drones can—and swoop down on defenseless Russian aircraft with precision. Slam! Bang! Explosion after explosion lit up the TV screen, flames billowed into smoke, and in the distance, we heard the scary sound of sirens. War is the No. 1 entertainer on television news in India. It has washed TV soaps down the tube. Who wants to watch a mother-in-law slap her daughter-in law when we can watch India slap down Pakistan—or Zelenskyy deliver a stinging blow to Putin? This was 'Pearl Harbour 2.0'—the 'Maha Yudh,' 'Full and Final' (Republic Bharat) running on Indian television news channels. It was 'Putin v/s Trump', declared TV9 Bharatvarsh. Why watch a girl named Saru in plaited pigtail confront Ankita in tight skirts (Saru, Zee TV) when you can watch US President Donald Trump, the 'Lord of Lunacy'—as TV9 Bharatvarsh called him—outstare Russian President Vladimir Putin? If it's not actual war, TV news conflicts are more entertaining than the family court-martials on TV soaps. On Wednesday there was a 'Kannada-Tamil War' in the TV newsrooms 'starring' Kamal Hassan as the 'villain' (Times Now). Cut to a visual of the film star, long, stringy strands of hair framing his villainous face, looking exactly like he led a 'Thug Life'—the title of his latest film. The Mani Ratnam film is now caught in the battle of Bengaluru, as Karnataka threatens to boycott Thug Life after Kamal Hassan appeared to offend Kannadiga pride by stating that 'Kannada was born out of Tamil.' Wouldn't you rather watch this case of exploding linguistic identities than Akshara swooning here and there during her pregnancy while trying to withstand the nauseating behaviour of her would-be saas, who is trying to prevent her son from marrying Akshara in the TV soap Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai (Star Plus)? This family drama has aired since 2012 and has so many internal conflicts, great epics pale in comparison. Still, it can't compare with the drones of war on television news. Also read: Blood, Bengal, and Breaking News—Local TV channels are desensitising us, badly War excites TV news The comparison between war among nations and war within a joint family isn't a false equivalence: both thrive on constant conflict and keep us round-eyed with astonishment at the unfolding events. What's clear is that TV news coverage of modern warfare is more eye-catching: boots on the ground have been replaced by flying machines. This allows TV channels to play video war games. Digital technology and now AI help newsrooms come up with high-quality maps, detailed graphics, and advanced animation to bring action to life. Just look at this one by AiTelly. Hindi news channels have also taken to war enthusiastically. TV9 Bharatvarsh is also known as 'Yudh TV' for waging ceaseless battle on air, 24×7. The conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Balochistan regularly show up on the news. How can any mere mortal TV soap actor—who is there to weep, shout, stand, and stare without messing up the make-up—compete with this? The primary purpose of the characters they play is to look soulfully into the eyes of a beloved or narrow their eyes into venomous slits while they spit out poisonous threats like, 'You will not steal Adit from me' (Mangal Lakshmi, Colors). Alternatively, the one happy family has to reinforce the ideals of the patriarchal Hindu value system: In Udne ki Asha (Star Plus), the mother-in-law comes up with a brilliant idea: 'All the wives will cook for their husbands!' Well. TV soaps have not reinvented themselves with the times, perhaps because they're targeting audiences in smaller cities and rural areas. They're still about the Hindu parivaar – loving, fighting, feuding—while urban viewers have moved on to watch OTT shows like the recently released The Royals (Netflix). Even when they attempt change, they fall back on old stereotypes. In Jagruti, Ek Nai Subah (Zee), the lead female character is a policewoman from an imaginary backward community called 'Chitta'. She is up against the mafia king – Thakurji. Thakurji profits from drugs, animal skins, and other illegal trades. He lives a lavish lifestyle, sprawled out on a couch with a glass of Scotch whisky dangling from his fingers as he threatens the police chief. And when he's angry, he shatters the glass with his bare hand. Also, everything moves in slow motion; the camera still does a 360-degree twirl to capture the expressionless faces of the family members. And then there's the music… Also read: Sensational, speculative, insensitive—that's how TV news is covering Kolkata doctor's rape Murder and mayhem There's plenty of music on news channels too—and special effects galore. For shouting matches, we have TV news anchors and their guests—BJP and Congress play the lead roles of warring families. We've even watched people assault each other in the newsroom. And if you are loyal viewers of Crime Patrol or the other popular crime shows C.I.D (Sony) and Savdhaan India (Star Bharat), you'll find enough murder on news channels to slake your blood thirst. Wednesday morning, India Today had news of a 'Ghastly crime in Shillong' where honeymooners were 'hacked to death'. It also had mobile video footage of a 'murder in a bakery'. Let's remember the Shraddha Walkar case that was telecast for weeks across news channels. Lastly, everyone has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for coming up with the name Operation Sindoor. Did you know there's a TV serial called 'Sindoor ki Keemat' that aired on Dangal between 2021 and 2023? The author tweets @shailajabajpai. Views are personal. (Edited by Prashant)
India Today
14 minutes ago
- India Today
Thug Life X review: Kamal Haasan's film is unconventional, gives goosebumps
Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life' has got social media abuzz with all kinds of reviews. While a section of the audience seems mighty impressed with the screenplay, the visual effects and the solid performances by Haasan and Silambarasan TR, another section thinks it's just an average user on social media criticised the alleged negative promotion of the film and wrote in the review, "The movie is just too good. Guys don't believe negative reviews They are paid reviewers from other regions just go and watch with family. It gives goosebumps in theatres #KamalHasan king always kin (sic)."advertisementAnother user who watched the film's first day-first show, wrote that the film 'lags' in between despite starting on a strong note. His review of the first half of the film read, "#ThugLife Review FIRST HALF Decent. Starts well but then gets into some lags. #KamalHaasan shines and his De-Ageing is neatly done. #SilamabarasanTR is fire. Technical Aspects (clapping emoji), Music (thumbs up), Supporting Cast(victory emoji)."Check what people on X are saying about 'Thug Life': advertisement 'Thug Life' has hit the screens amid a grand buzz, and a huge controversy following Haasan's 'Kannada is born out of Tamil' remark. The Mani Ratnam directorial has been banned in most trade experts suggest that the decision is going to hardly impact the film's overall box office run. While speaking to India Today, the trade experts predicted a Rs 30-40 crore opening for the film on Thursday all across the country, with Rs 20-25 crore from the Tamil market InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#Kamal Haasan
