Michael Jackson was set to sing for Rajinikanth’s Enthiran: Thaman reveals lost AR Rahman collaboration

Music director S Thaman is teasing a new international crossover, this time with rapper Hanumankind, the Bengaluru artist behind the breakout hit Big Dawgs. But in revealing the talks, Thaman also pulled back the curtain on two earlier global collaborations that almost happened but didn't, including one involving AR Rahman and Michael Jackson that ended just weeks after it began.

A new collaboration in the works

In a conversation with Honest Townhall, Thaman confirmed he's been in touch with Hanumankind about a potential project, though he kept details close to the chest.

"I spoke with him already. So much talk is going on. I can't say which film, but we are just waiting for the opportunity," Thaman said.

When Rahman and Jackson almost joined forces

The bigger revelation, though, was about the past. Thaman recounted a story that has floated around Indian film circles for years, that AR Rahman and Michael Jackson had agreed to compose a song together for Rajinikanth's Enthiran. Per Thaman, the two had moved well past the idea stage: they'd met and were already shaping a track for the film.

"AR Rahman had actually planned a single with Michael Jackson. They met, they designed a song, both of them wanted to compose a song for Rajinikanth. He had signed the deal in May, but Michael Jackson passed away in June," Thaman revealed.

The timeline lines up with history, Jackson died on June 25, 2009, less than a year before Enthiran hit screens in 2010. The S Shankar-directed film, starring Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, became one of the costliest and most technically elaborate Indian films of its era, with Rahman's soundtrack, including the hit 'Kilimanjaro, going on to become hugely popular without any Jackson involvement.

A second near-miss: Britney Spears and Game Changer

Thaman didn't stop there. He also revealed that his own film, the Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer, had once been in the running for a similar global moment. The plan was to bring pop star Britney Spears on board for the dance number "Dope," with an eye toward releasing an English-language single internationally alongside the movie.

"Actually, we had big plans for Game Changer as well; for the song 'Dope,' we tried to get artistes like Britney Spears involved. We tried very hard, planning to launch an international single in English. We believed strongly in the 'Dope' song, but we lost that chance because the movie got delayed," Thaman said.