AR Rahman accused of plagiarism on social media as ‘Roja’ song ‘Pudhu Vellai Mazhai’ compared to Yanni’s tune ‘Quiet Man’ - Reports

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman is currently facing heat on social media with accusations of copying tunes. Recently, a social media post caught wind, which claims that the musician’s famous song ‘Pudhu Vellai Mazhai’ from the 1992 film ‘Roja’ sounds very similar to ‘Quiet Man’ by Yanni, released in 1989.

Fans react on social media

For the unversed, the Tamil song was a massive hit when it was released and is still loved by the fans. After the video hit the internet, many fans shared their opinion in the comments. One user wrote, “How are people waking up to this after decades? We considered him a maestro.” Another comment said, “After internet became the norm everybody knew he's a copycat has been always will be…” Many posts said they admired Rahman for years and now feel confused after seeing the comparisons. One internet user also added, “My whole life was a lie!”. Some users compared Rahman’s older songs with international music.

Ram Gopal Varma’s old ‘Jai Ho’ claim amid plagiarism claims

At the same time, another old controversy came back into focus. Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma’s past interview went viral again. In that video, RGV claimed that AR Rahman did not compose the Oscar-winning song ‘Jai Ho’. He said the song was made during the time of ‘Yuvraaj’ and later sold to ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.

When the clip went viral earlier, singer Sukhwinder Singh clarified that he only sang the song and that Rahman composed it.

RGV issues fresh clarification

Now, after his video resurfaced again, RGV shared a clear statement on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “To all concerned .. I am being misquoted and misread out of context in the matter of the Jai ho song.” He added, “In my view @arrahman is the greatest composer and the nicest human being I ever met and he’s the last person to take away anybody’s credit.”

On the work front, AR Rahman will be seen collaborating with Hans Zimmer for the soundtrack of Nitesh Tiwari's magnum opus, 'Ramayana' starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”