AR Rahman Teams Up with Pharrell Williams for Global Track 'Yaara' at Paris Fashion Week

Time of India

3 days ago

AR Rahman collaborated with American musician and the Men's Creative Director for Louis Vuitton
on a Punjabi track, Yaara, which was played at the Paris Fashion Week. The Oscar winner shared a video from the event on Instagram and wrote, 'It was fun working with Pharrell Williams on the track Yaara for Louis Vuitton.
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' The video featured models walking the ramp on the upbeat track that had the audience, including celebs like Beyoncé, Jay-Z and K-pop star J-Hope, vibing to it.
Talking to us about the collaboration, Rahman, who shared a picture with his son AR Ameen and Pharrell on social media, says, 'Pharrell and I have known each other since the time we both were part of Hans Zimmer's super band project. There's always been mutual respect.
When this opportunity came up, we thought, why not do something that feels truly global but is rooted in something vibrant and real? That's where Yaara came in.
It happened all of a sudden, and it was exciting. Bringing Romy on board, who worked with me earlier on Chamkila, was spontaneous. He wrote the lyrics quickly.'
LV fashion show at Paris Fashion Week
'Borders to music have blurred, and the world just needs more unique ideas'
Talking about the collab, Rahman shares, 'This collaboration was an opportunity to present our heritage on a global stage while staying true to the creative vision we were given.
The borders of music have blurred a long time ago, the world just needs more cool and unique ideas. I met the legendary filmmaker Spike Lee, and we bonded over the Inside Man experience, where he fondly remembered how he had wanted Chaiyya Chaiyya, sung by Sukhwinder Singh, as the title track.
And then there was J-Hope from BTS grooving to it, that was lovely to see.'
Models display props with Indian elements at Paris Fashion Week
'My son Ameen is one of the main reasons I attended the event'
Interestingly, this was the first time Rahman attended a fashion show.
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He said, 'My son Ameen is one of the main reasons I attended the event. This is the first fashion show I have ever attended, and it was a great start. The whole place was filled with celebrities from all over the world, some of whom I knew and some I had the pleasure of meeting for the first time.'
'A track with Indian roots, taking centre stage at the Paris Fashion Week, was special'
Rahman, who has represented India on global platforms before, says that each time he does that, it feels new. 'But this one was special,' he says, adding, 'To have a track with Indian roots, taking centre stage at the Paris Fashion Week was special. It just highlights that our sounds, languages and rhythms are not only relevant, but also resonate globally. It's a celebration of identity and interconnected creativity.
I'm grateful to Pharrell and the entire team for embracing that spirit.'