S Thaman Reveals Michael Jackson Nearly Collaborated With AR Rahman for ‘Enthiran’
Composer S Thaman says Michael Jackson and AR Rahman had agreed to collaborate on a song for Rajinikanth's Enthiran before the project was abandoned.
Chennai, Sep 22: Music composer S Thaman has revealed a little-known story about a proposed collaboration between global pop icon Michael Jackson and Oscar winning composer AR Rahman for Rajinikanth’s 2010 science fiction film Enthiran.
According to Thaman, Jackson and Rahman had been set to work together on a song for the Rajinikanth starrer, but the proposed collaboration could not take place after the singer’s death. Thaman discussed the project while speaking about international music collaborations and his own plans to work with Bengaluru-based rapper Hanumankind.
The revelation adds another chapter to the history surrounding Enthiran, which was directed by S Shankar and featured Rajinikanth in dual roles alongside Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The film’s music was composed by AR Rahman and became an important part of its large scale production.
Thaman said the agreement involving Jackson and Rahman had been signed only weeks before Jackson died in June 2009. The proposed project therefore remained unrealised, leaving what could have been an unusual collaboration between one of the world’s best known pop performers and one of India’s most prominent film composers.
Jackson had previously maintained connections with Indian music and cinema personalities, while Rahman’s international collaborations have included artists from several countries. A Jackson-Rahman project for a Rajinikanth film would have brought together three major names from different areas of the global entertainment industry.
Thaman made the revelation while discussing his own interest in taking Indian film music to wider international audiences. He is currently in talks with Hanumankind, the Bengaluru based rapper who gained international attention with the track Big Dawgs. The composer did not disclose the name of the film for which the proposed collaboration may take place.
Hanumankind’s growing international profile has made him an increasingly visible name beyond India’s independent hip-hop scene. His potential collaboration with Thaman reflects the continuing movement between Indian film music, regional artists and global music audiences.
The discussion also highlights how collaborations in the Indian film industry have increasingly extended beyond conventional playback singing. Composers and filmmakers have looked to international performers and musicians to create songs that can travel across language and geographical boundaries.
In the case of Enthiran, the proposed Jackson-Rahman collaboration would have added an international dimension to a film that was already designed on a large scale. The project combined science fiction, action, elaborate production design and a major musical score, with Rajinikanth’s star power at its centre.
Although the song was never completed, Thaman’s account has brought renewed attention to the possibility that Jackson and Rahman had once been close to working together. The revelation also provides a glimpse into the international ambitions surrounding major Indian productions during that period.
For Rahman, the proposed collaboration would have been another example of his work connecting Indian cinema with international music. For Jackson, it would have represented an opportunity to contribute to a major Indian film at a time when Bollywood and other Indian film industries were increasingly exploring global partnerships.
Thaman’s latest comments have consequently revived interest in one of Indian cinema’s unrealised musical collaborations. More than a decade after Enthiran reached theatres, the story offers a reminder of how many ambitious projects remain behind the scenes even when the final film becomes a major part of popular culture.
