AR Rahman was paid minimum fees for ‘Taal’ despite record label shelling out a whopping amount

AR Rahman Pic/AFP

The team behind the 1999 musical hit 'Taal' came together in Mumbai to celebrate the film's 25th anniversary with a special screening. The event saw celebs including music maestro AR Rahman, director Subhash Ghai, actors Anil Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla, producer Ramesh Taurani, and choreographer Shamak Davar in attendance. The movie, best known for its iconic soundtrack, including 'Taal Se Taal Mila', 'Ishq Bina', 'Nahin Saamne', 'Ramta Jogi', and 'Ni Main Samajh Gayi' still holds a special place in the hearts of music lovers.

AR Rahman was paid minimum fees for ‘Taal'

While speaking at the event, filmmaker Subhash Ghai revealed that despite getting a whopping amount from the record label Tips, AR Rahman was paid minimum fees. He said, "They (Tips) gave me a lot of money for Khalnayak, more than what I hoped for. I quoted a high amount so they declined. But they agreed! The next day, I rushed to Laxmikant ji's place and told him, ‘Zulm ho gaya hai (It is a mistake)'!"

He continued, I explained to him the situation and said, ‘Paisa toh de diya hai unhone (They have paid us). Now they should also earn. Warna bolenge ki Subhash Ghai fraud hai! (Or else they will say Subhash Ghai is a fraud) We then worked very hard for Khalnayak. When they once again paid a whopping amount for Taal, I was more worried. But I was also sure that they'd get the returns because of this genius man (points at AR Rahman). He was paid minimum fees in Taal!"

Rahman reacting to the same said, "Let's not go there!"

AR Rahman worked with limited resources

Ghai recalled how Rahman's talent stood out even with limited resources at the time. "We have worked on three films together. What is very, very significant with Rahman... he had composed this song Ishq Bina in 1995, and at that time I think we had very little console, very, very ordinary machines," he said.

"So the man is more important than the machine; the composer and the composer's soul and heart are more important than the music, and the music is more important than the technology," he added.

‘Taal' is set to re-release in Indian theatres to celebrate 25 years since its first release. Fans of the 1999 classic can watch the movie on the big screen once again starting September 27. ‘Taal', starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Akshaye Khanna, and Anil Kapoor, was originally released on August 13, 1999. The movie also featured talented actors like Amrish Puri, Alok Nath, Mita Vashisth, and Saurabh Shukla, who contributed to its success.