Mohini Dey addressed the rumors of a link-up with A.R. Rahman

Summary: Mohini Dey clarifies the rumors and says A.R. Rahman is a father figure and mentor who helped shape her career.

A.R. Rahman recently announced his separation from his wife Saira Banu. Hours after his divorce announcement, his bassist, Mohini Dey also announced her separation from her husband, Mark Hartsuch. 

This left fans wondering if there’s any link between these two divorces and if A.R. Rahman and Mohini Dey are linked. 

Dey soon dismissed the rumors by posting a video on social media. She has worked with AR for over 8 years. Expressing her disgust at the accusations, she said Rahman has influenced her career as a father figure and role model.

She has previously expressed her admiration for the composer and this was the first time she has addressed her relationship with him. She first collaborated with A.R. Rahman when she wasn’t aware of how significant a role he has to play in the music industry. 

“I knew that AR was big but I did not know how big he was exactly.” She talked about how she recorded a lot at the Nirvana studio in Mumbai and how she learned she was going to do a song for A.R. Rahman during one of those recordings. She knew very little about Rahman since she didn't know anything about Bollywood.

When she informed her father about recording the song for Rahman, he was proud of her. She googled about Rahman, and that’s when she learned about his impact on the music industry. When Rahman asked if she would join his band for Coke Studio the next day, Dey immediately said yes.

A.R. Rahman told her he was also in talks with other guitarists but he saw Mohini’s work and instantly decided to have her on board. “He told me that he was trying to get Tal Wilkenfeld (an Australian singer and bassist) for his band but after he heard me perform, he had to choose me.” This coming from a great musician was a huge compliment for her. 

This started a new journey and she had been a part of the band for almost a decade. She accompanied him on both domestic and foreign trips and helped with his film work.