A.R. Reihana who is a playback singer cum music composer in the Tamil film industry is popularly recognized as A.R. Rahman's sister or composer G.V. Prakash's mother. [She is also the mother-in-law of playback singer Saindhavi whom G.V. Prakash is married to].
In a recent interview to a Tamil news channel, Reihana was seen getting candid about the Chinmayi - Vairamuthu battle and how her Oscar winning musician brother who has worked the most with the names involved, reacted to the MeToo allegations. Excerpts from her interview:
Vairamuthu's behaviour is an open secret!
- "I support MeToo movement.. and I feel such activities (harassment) should be uprooted because women all over come out to work to support their family..and if they are subject to such behaviour, it is not right"
- "I trust what Chinmayi said because not only this..two three other people have said about Vairamuthu..she has taken a cause and if that cause helps remove a certain type of behaviour from the society to an extent and it helps reduce that type of behaviour, then it seems acceptable to me."
- "I do not think Chinmayi is doing so (blaming for fame/taking revenge for not giving opportunities) because I have heard two-three people talk about the same person (Vairamuthu) with similar incidents to be..it has been an open secret in the film industry..."
Chinmayi's mother harassed me!
- "The only thing I do not accept is why come out after 15 years..its not only to her but I ask all affected ladies in this issue..react immediately and uproot the man's behaviour so that he does not do it to another person...Coming out after 15 years and taking someone to court seems like a psycho behaviour to me."
- "I also do not endorse targeting a single person..why is only Vairamuthu spoken about..why not the other singers she has named...Whoever has been named should come out..you have done a mistake..so come out and apologize."
- "Chinmayi and her mother have always put their down their foot strongly come what may.. So i do not buy their reason that they were scared of Vairamuthu Sir. They once harassed 200 people in Bombay just because they were called Madrasis..I have personally faced harassment from them..I once announced Chinmayi's name in the press without taking their permission as a part of a music tour which I accept was wrong..the programme was after two months and she did not want to be a part of it so her name was not there in any of the posters or anything..But while the programme was going on her mother called me and accused me of gathering 3000 people as audience using her name..She kept calling my friend while the programmme was going on.."
A.R. Rahman's reaction
- "A.R. Rahman had asked me if all this is true..He said "What is this..Chinmayi is speaking at her will about everyone in the industry..what if someone commits suicide.." He does not have industry awareness.. I or anyone else did not have a chance of speaking about any of this to him because he does not encourage gossip or talking about anyone in general."
- "Rahman doesn't usually give opportunities to controversial people (on Rahman working with Chinmayi again)."
Reihana also spoke about her personal experience in the industry and strongly rooted for women saying 'no' the first time. She said,
- "I have had a fellow singer who was harassed by a musician for which we had to go to the police..people should be like her and uproot the issue before it becomes a tree..Not doing so is also wrong because then it would only become a problem for more girls/women."
- "I cannot say I have received absolute harassment but I once sang for a musician who kept texting me even post recording..I first ignored them as friendly messages..then he hung a big photo of me in a class of his..I laughed it off..then when he started sending love messages with a heart in it, I blocked him."