Mumbai, April 10, 2025 – A simmering Bollywood spat erupted Wednesday when singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya accused music maestro AR Rahman of making Padma awardees wait “on a bench” for hours during a 2011 meet, igniting a fresh debate over respect and egos in the industry. Speaking on Raj Thakur’s podcast, Bhattacharya didn’t mince words: “Ye ek Padma Bhushan ki izzat hai?”—a jab at Rahman’s stature that’s now viral.
The incident, tied to an Oscar party Rahman hosted post his Slumdog Millionaire win, allegedly saw luminaries like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle sidelined. “He kept us waiting outside his studio—Padma Shri, Bhushan, Vibhushan—all on a bench,” Bhattacharya claimed, per Hindustan Times. His gripe? Rahman’s “arrogance” post-Hollywood fame clashed with Bollywood’s old guard, leaving a bitter taste.
Rahman hasn’t responded—his team’s silence only fuels the fire. Bhattacharya, known for ’90s hits like Tum Dil Ki Dhadkan Mein, doubled down, saying Rahman’s crew even denied him studio entry once. “I walked away—I don’t need his validation,” he told The Indian Express. Posts on X split hard—some call it sour grapes, others nod, “Respect isn’t optional.”
This isn’t new friction. Rahman’s global rise—two Oscars, a Grammy—shifted his orbit, with Bollywood peers occasionally grumbling about accessibility (Times of India, 2023). Yet, his fans defend the quiet genius behind Roja and Jai Ho, arguing genius doesn’t bow to protocol. “He’s creating, not curtsying,” one tweeted.
The real sting? It’s 2025—Bollywood’s evolving, but egos linger. With Rahman’s legacy towering and Bhattacharya’s playback era fading, this clash begs a question: does acclaim come with a duty to honor peers, or is talent its own excuse?
