AR Rahman gets replaced by Sai Abhyankkar in Suriya 45

In a surprising turn of events, Sai Abhyankkar has been announced as the new music director for the highly anticipated Suriya-RJ Balaji project, tentatively titled Suriya 45. Initially, the project was launched with the legendary AR Rahman as the composer, but recent developments have led to a change in the film’s musical direction.

Sai Abhyankkar, who recently gained recognition with his independent track Katchi Sera, the most-streamed Tamil song of 2024 according to Spotify Wrapped, has been roped in to score the music for Suriya 45. The young composer’s ascent in the music industry has been meteoric, further fueled by his lineage as the son of renowned singers Tippu and Harini.

The production house Dream Warrior Pictures officially announced Sai Abhyankkar’s involvement in the project through a new announcement poster. The same poster also revealed that GK Vishnu, known for his collaborations with director Atlee, will be the cinematographer for the film. This marks Vishnu’s first full-length Tamil film project that isn’t directed by Atlee.

The replacement of AR Rahman has sparked various speculations and discussions among fans and industry insiders. While some rumours suggested that AR Rahman might be taking a break from composing after his separation from Saira Banu, his daughter Khatija Rahman and son AR Ameen dismissed these claims. According to reports, scheduling conflicts were the primary reason for Rahman’s replacement, and there was no other underlying issue.