/> If Shah Rukh was seen grooving in bhang -induced masti to the sound of the 1970s' chartbuster Khai ke paan benaras wala in Farhan Akhtar's Don, Abhishek Bahchchan also took the bhang route in Mani Rathnam's Guru. But his was an original composition by Rahman, rendered by Bappi Lahiri!

One music director recording a song in the voice of another music director? Isn't that unusual?

" No!" rejoins Rahman after a rigorous day of recording. "Why do you say that? I've always liked Bappi-da. He's some kind of an innovator. In the 1950s he was the first composer to do disco. He was the first to record in London.

And I like his voice. When we recorded a fun-filled mischievous dummy track for Mani Rathnam's Guru in the voice of a Bengali guy in Chennai we thought of a matching a voice to do the final recording. Gulzar Saab who wrote the lyrics for the song suggested Bappi-da's voice.

We immediately invited Bappi-da to Chennai. He came heard the song, said he liked it, recorded it. It was all very pleasant and cordial."

The song is a 'Bhang' number where a tipsy Abhishek will freak out on screen. The number is akin to Abhishek's legendary father Amitabh Bachchan's evergreen Khai ke paan benaras wala which interestingly enough Shah Rukh Khan reprised in the remake of Don.

But did Bappi's voice match Abhishek?

"Why not?" shoots back Rahman. "I think Bappi's voice was fine on Abhishek. I personally avoid singing for leading men. Even in Mani Rathnam's Dil Se where I had a song filmed on Shah Rukh Khan (Dil se re) I didn't sing in the foreground.

Strangely little kids seem to know me more as a singer than composer. In films I like to sing only the moody theme songs. In Swades Ashutosh Gowariker wanted me to sing the Ek tara number. But I thought Udit Narayan suited Shah Rukh far more. I chose to sing the theme song in Swades. I guess I'm just lucky that people liked my singing so much. I've a long way to go as a singer."

Rahman confesses he isn't as proficient at singing as he's at composing. "I can't just break into a song like our professional playback singers. Even when I sang on Rendezvous With Simi Garewal I had to stop the chat session, rehearse for my singing and do a completely new session."

Rahman reverts to the unusual choice of Bappi for the song in Guru. "I had met Bappi-da off and on at concerts, functions etc. So it wasn't as if I had to approach a stranger."