AR Rahman Reacts As Subhash Ghai Reveals He Was Paid The 'Minimum Fees' In Taal: 'Let’s Not Go There'

It was the 25th anniversary celebration of the beloved musical Taal, and a special screening took place, attended by notable figures like Subhash Ghai, Anil Kapoor, AR Rahman, producers Ramesh and Kumar Taurani, Udit Narayan and Shiamak Davar, among others. At the event hosted by Radio Nasha, Subhash Ghai spoke about the music of Taal, composed by AR Rahman, and added, “He was paid minimum fees in Taal!” To this, the composer laughed and added, “Let’s not go there!”

“But everything is not about money. We are celebrating Taal’s 25 years. Money can never buy this!” Said Subhash Ghai as quoted by Bollywood Hungama.

At the event, Anil Kapoor reminisced about filming the climax of Taal and revealed that Subhash Ghai would often provide dialogues at the last minute. He recalled, “The climax monologue was going to be shot the next day. I told him, ‘I am not coming tomorrow. Aap scene nahin de rahe hai mujhe’ (you are not giving me the scene). He knows me so well that he said ‘Theek hai. Mat aa’ (ok, don’t come).”

Anil Kapoor shared that he woke up the next day and decided not to go to the shoot. However, he was worried about how it would look if he didn’t show up. He said, “I also feared that ‘Kahin scene change kar ke dialogue Akshaye Khanna ko na de de’ (what if he changes the scene and gives my dialogue to Akshaye Khanna). I reached the sets at around 12:30 pm. He was relaxed as he knew I was going to come. Surprisingly, we finished the scene in 2-3 hours.”

Taal, released in 1999, is a musical drama directed by Subhash Ghai. The film features a stellar cast including Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, and Akshaye Khanna, and is renowned for its captivating music composed by A.R. Rahman. The story revolves around the love triangle between a young woman and two men from different backgrounds, showcasing the clash of cultures and emotions through dance and music. Notably, Taal was the first Hindi film to be released in IMAX, which added to its visual appeal. With its memorable songs and rich storytelling, the film remains a beloved classic in Indian cinema​.