AR Rahman’s request for his wife Saira Banu to speak in Tamil instead of Hindi at the Ananda Vikadan Film Awards has sparked controversy on social media. The musician, who won Best Playback Singer and Best Music Director awards at the event, presented the best singer award to his wife and asked her to come on stage. Rahman also shared on stage that his wife was the first fan of his voice, and it was with her encouragement that he began singing.
However, the moment that caught the attention of social media was when Rahman asked his wife to speak in Tamil instead of Hindi before handing her the microphone. Saira Banu expressed her shock and apologized for not being able to speak Tamil well, stating that AR Rahman’s voice is her favorite and she fell in love with his voice.
Soon after the video went viral many have criticized him for disrespecting the Hindi language, which has played a significant role in his success. One Twitter user accused Rahman of being ungrateful to Hindi-speaking fans who made him a hero, while another cautioned him not to test the patience of Hindi speakers.
The criticism did not end there, as some users pointed out the hypocrisy of Rahman winning an Oscar for the Hindi song Jai Ho while asking his wife to speak in Tamil instead of Hindi.
Discussion about this post