Cinema VinesIn a twist that could have reshaped global pop culture, composer A.R. Rahman had lined up a collaboration with the late Michael Jackson for the soundtrack of Rajinikanth’s 2010 blockbuster Enthiran. The plan, which emerged in 2009 after Rahman’s Oscar‑winning work on Slumdog Millionaire, was abruptly halted by the sudden death of the pop icon in June of that year.
According to S Thaman, who recently reflected on the episode, Rahman and Jackson had met in Los Angeles and discussed the possibility of a joint musical venture. Thaman recalled that Rahman had even approached director Shankar, asking whether Jackson would be willing to lend his voice to a Tamil track for the film. Jackson reportedly expressed openness to the idea, sparking excitement among the production team.
Shankar, who had already enlisted the superstar Rajinikanth for the lead role, saw the potential for a once‑in‑a‑lifetime collaboration that could have drawn worldwide attention to the Indian sci‑fi drama. “For Robo, Rahman had planned a single with Michael Jackson,” Thaman said. “They met and discussed the song. Unfortunately, Michael Jackson passed away in June that year.”
Rahman, who had just returned to India after meeting Jackson, later shared that the two had talked about music and world peace, and that Jackson had hinted at a project similar to We Are the World. The idea of a Tamil‑language song performed by Jackson, paired with Rajinikanth’s star power, was deemed a unique opportunity to bridge Indian cinema with global pop.
Despite the enthusiasm, the project could not move forward after Jackson’s death. Enthiran went on to release in 2010, becoming a major commercial success, and Rahman continued his partnership with Shankar and Rajinikanth on the sequel, 2.0. Years later, the story of the planned Rahman‑Jackson collaboration remains one of the most intriguing “what if” moments in Indian film history.
