AR Rahman faces criticism for collaborating with harassment-accused Jani Master on Chikiri Chikiri for Ram Charan’s Peddi, sparking outrage over industry hypocrisy. AR Rahman faces criticism for collaborating with harassment-accused Jani Master on Chikiri Chikiri for Ram Charan’s Peddi, sparking outrage over industry hypocrisy.
Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman is facing criticism for collaborating with choreographer Jani Master on Chikiri Chikiri, the new track from Ram Charan’s forthcoming movie Peddi. The dispute arose when Jani, who has sexual harassment accusations against him, posted pictures with Rahman on social media.
AR Rahman-Jani Master’s collaboration triggers outrage
On November 9, Jani Master posted pictures on Instagram alongside AR Rahman and Peddi director Buchi Babu Sana, announcing his role as choreographer for the film’s song Chikiri Chikiri. Expressing excitement, he wrote, “We grew up watching and dancing to Legendary @arrahman Sir’s songs, and I can’t believe I choreographed this chartbuster #ChikiriChikiri in his composition. Thank you for your kind words of support Sir… Grateful for the opportunity Mega Power Star @alwaysramcharan Anna #BuchiBabuSana garu @rathnaveludop Sir & entire @peddimovieoffl movie Team.”
Social media reactions
The collaboration ignited heated debate across Reddit and X (formerly Twitter), where users voiced disappointment over Rahman’s association with the accused choreographer. One Redditor wrote, “It’s hard to believe that he doesn’t know about his allegations.” Another comment read, “The entire film industry doesn’t give a flying f**k about sexual assault, just recently Mari Selvaraj and Nivas decided to work with Vedan despite all his allegations and nobody called them out for it.”
Other remarks included, “How is Jani any different from Vairamuthu, if ARR outright rejected Vairamuthu, why doesn’t he do the same to this pdf,” and “Never expected this from Rahman. He stopped working with talented singer Karthik. I respect his principle. But why is he comfortable working with Jani? Might as well collab with Karthik as well. Say no to hypocrisy.”
AR Rahman and Jani Master’s partnership sparks controversy.
The post quickly received a lot of backlash online, with numerous users questioning Rahman’s choice to collaborate with Jani, who was taken into custody last year due to serious accusations of sexual assault. Critics labelled Rahman as “hypocritical,” highlighting that he had earlier separated himself from lyricist Vairamuthu following several allegations of sexual misconduct against him.
Allegations involving Jani Master
In September 2023, Jani Master was apprehended by Cyberabad police following allegations from a former assistant choreographer who claimed he sexually assaulted her during a work trip to Mumbai in 2020. She also claimed ongoing harassment and intimidation. The complainant subsequently disclosed that she was a minor during the incident, resulting in additional charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Jani was arrested by the police under IPC sections 376(2)(n), 506, and 323. In light of the allegations, the National Film Award was suspended by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He is presently released on bail.
About Chikiri, Chikiri, and Peddi
The Chikiri Chikiri song, launched earlier this month, rapidly gained popularity, surpassing 46 million views in just 24 hours in multiple languages. Created by AR Rahman, the song includes vocals from Mohit Chauhan or AR Ameen, based on the version. The track features Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor, with dance routines created by Jani Master.
Helmed by Buchi Babu Sana, Peddi features Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyendu Sharma as well. The countryside sports film is set to hit theatres on March 27, 2026.
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