When Pahalgam girls mistook AR Rahman for an electrician

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali and music maestro AR Rahman came together and created magic with Rockstar. Now, in an interview, the ace filmmaker opened up about some interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the time they collaborated and revealed a hilarious yet innocent incident from their visit to Pahalgam, where Rahman decided to record a song for the film — and a group of girls mistook him for an electrician.

Imtiaz Ali recalls recording song with AR Rahman in Pahalgam

While talking about their trip to Pahalgam for Rockstar, in an interview with O2India, Imtiaz said, “Rahman sir set up this recording console in the reception of the hotel. He was wearing a black T-shirt paired with grey trousers. These girls came in to sing chorus and suddenly asked who the music director was. Now, these people were not really exposed to cinema or its people, so they didn’t know me or Rahman sir. When they asked, ‘Who was the music director?’, I gestured at them to be quiet and showed them where they had to be for the recording. Rahman sir came out from under the table, and one of these girls was bold and she asked again, ‘Who is the music director?’ I finally pointed towards Rahman and told them, ‘Here he is, AR Rahman.’”

“One of the girls then refused to believe it and said, ‘Yeh AR Rahman thodi hai, I have met him, he looks different.’ Rahman played along and said, ‘Yeah, yeah, forget about it.’ And then he sat behind the console and started recording. Until the end of it, these girls didn’t realise that they were actually singing for AR Rahman,” he further added.

About Rockstar’s star-cast and story

The iconic romantic drama Rockstar is written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. It starred Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri in the lead roles. Meanwhile, Aditi Rao Hydari, Piyush Mishra, Shernaz Patel, Kumud Mishra, Sanjana Sanghi, Aakash Dahiya, and Shammi Kapoor played pivotal roles in the romantic drama.

Rockstar revolves around Janardhan Jakhar, played by Ranbir, a young man from Delhi who dreams of becoming a rockstar like his idol, Jim Morrison. He transforms and adopts the persona of Jordan when he meets Heer Kaul, played by Nargis Fakhri, a free-spirited girl with whom he falls in love. The movie portrays Janardhan’s journey as he navigates through love, heartbreak, and fame in pursuit of his musical ambitions. It explores themes of passion, self-discovery, and the sacrifices one makes for their art.

Rockstar is renowned for its soulful music composed by AR Rahman, which includes chart-topping songs like “Sadda Haq” and “Nadaan Parindey.” The film received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and music, earning several awards and nominations.