AR Rehman's Stellar Performance At IIFA Rocks

AR Rahman, who is currently in New York for the 18th India International Film Awards, gave a stellar concert on Saturday to an ecstatic crowd.

Talking to ANI, the Oscar-winning composer said he tries to give his best in a performance.

“I try my best, love how people have supported and loved me all these years,” he said.

Rahman was in news earlier this week when several fans complained about his July 8 concert in Wembley, London on Twitter. The concert-goers were miffed that Rahman did not perform enough Hindi songs and demanded a refund for the same.

The complainants, who were mostly North Indians, then got schooled by the musician’s South Indian fans on how this is a classic example of ‘imposing Hindi’ on South Indians.

In New York, however, fans demanded an ‘encore’ for Rahman’ s Oorvasi Oorvasi, sung in Tamil.

“Once more, once more,” shouted out the fans at the MetLife Stadium, even as the clock struck 2 a.m. on Saturday morning.

“It’s too late right...,” commented Rahman, but broke into the rocking Humma Humma nevertheless.

The audience joined in as an ensemble of singers including Hariharan, Kailash Kher, Jonita Gandhi, Benny Dayal, Mika Singh and Neeti Mohan jammed it up with the music maestro on stage.

With a list of songs largely dominated by Hindi tracks, Rahman also sang around three to four numbers in his mother tongue, and the audience wasn’t complaining.