Hyderabad: Social media users are sharing a video of composer AR Rahman telling his wife to speak at an awards show in Tamil rather than Hindi. Rahman received recognition at the most recent Vikatan Cinema Awards, and he invited his wife Saira Banu to take the stage with him to accept the trophy and say a few words. However, as she was about to say something, Rahman interrupted her asking her to speak in Tamil and not Hindi.
On winning the award, A R Rahman thanked his wife which brought tears to her eyes. She broke down as he thanked her, and when he asked if she'd like to join him on stage, she eagerly walked over. Rahman gave her a hug and invited her to speak briefly before presenting her with the trophy.
However, just as she was about to address the audience, he interrupted her in Tamil, saying, "Please speak in Tamil, not Hindi." Although Saira appeared uncomfortable, she grinned and apologised for her lack of Tamil language proficiency. She said: I kindly ask for your forgiveness as I am not fluent in Tamil. She further said that his (A R Rahman's) voice is one of her favourites, so she is incredibly happy and excited. "I fell in love with his voice, thats all I can say,' she added.
Rahman has supported the Tamil language despite working in various industries and producing music in many different languages. When Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that residents of different states should communicate with one another in Hindi rather than English, Rahman replied with an illustration of "Thamizhanangu" of "Goddess Tamil" from the Tamil national anthem.
Rahman and Saira got married in 1995. On Simi Garewal's chat show a few years ago, he shared the story of his marriage saying, "In all honesty, I didn't have the time to go and look for a partner. I was extremely busy with all of these films and Rangeela shoot in Bombay. But I was aware that it was the ideal time for me to tie the knot as I was 29. I told my mother to find me a bride."
