Bassist Mohini Dey on A R Rahman: He is like my father

Responding to rumours that linked her with A R Rahman, bassist Mohini Dey called the legendary music composer her father figure

A couple of days after opening up about being linked to A R Rahman, bassist Mohini Dey has called the Oscar-winning composer her father figure. Hours after Rahman and wife Saira Banu announced their split, Mohini confirmed her separation from husband and musician Mark Hartsuch.

The timing of Mohini’s divorce led to rumours on social media that linked her with Rahman. “I have a lot of father figures and role models. I have been really fortunate to have had them play vital roles in my upbringing. A R happens to be one of them. By A R I mean A R Rahman,” she said in a video on Instagram.

“I respect him a lot. He is like my father. His daughter is my age I think. We have a lot of respect for each other. I worked with him in his band as a bassist for eight-and-a-half years, until five years ago, when I moved to the US and associated myself with other pop artistes,” she said.

Mohini added, “Please be kind and respect our privacy. It’s a personal matter and it’s painful.” Responding to the rumours, Mohini had said on November 23, 2024, “I am not interested in fuelling into absolute BS! [sic].”

ALSO READ: Rahman’s counsel issues legal notice against calumnies over his divorce

Rahman and Saira Banu have split after 29 years of marriage. Recently, Rahman’s counsel warned those indulging in calumny on social media platforms about his private life and the reasons for his divorce with Saira Banu.

Meanwhile, Saira Banu opened on the separation and requested people to not tarnish the composer’s reputation “I have been physically unwell and that’s the reason I wanted to take a break from AR,” she had said.