Michael Jackson For Rajinikanth, Britney Spears For Ram Charan? Thaman Reveals Shankar’s Plans

S Shankar’s films have often been built on scale, spectacle and ideas that push beyond conventional Indian cinema. Now, composer S Thaman has revealed two fascinating plans from the director’s films that could have brought Michael Jackson and Britney Spears into Shankar’s cinematic world.

The first dates back to Rajinikanth’s 'Enthiran'. According to Thaman’s recent revelation, A R Rahman had planned to bring Michael Jackson on board for the film’s music. The King of Pop was expected to sing a track composed by Rahman.

Rahman had previously spoken about meeting Jackson in Los Angeles and discussing the possibility of working together. The collaboration was reportedly being worked on around 2009, but it ultimately did not happen. Recent reports differ on the exact reason, with some attributing it to scheduling and logistical difficulties, while Thaman’s latest account links the collapse of the plan to Jackson’s death in June 2009.

Jackson’s association with Rahman would not have been entirely unexpected. The two had already shared the stage in 1999, when Rahman performed with a troupe at Jackson’s 'Michael Jackson and Friends' concert in Munich.

The second revelation comes from 'Game Changer', Shankar’s 2025 political action thriller starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani. Thaman revealed that the makers had considered taking the song 'Dhop' to an international audience with an English version, with Britney Spears being discussed for the project.

The idea, however, remained on paper. The production of 'Game Changer' stretched over several years, and scheduling and production delays eventually led to the ambitious Britney Spears plan being shelved, according to the reports.

'Dhop' was eventually released as part of the film’s soundtrack, with the song picturised on Ram Charan and Kiara Advani. The film’s music was composed by Thaman, who collaborated with Shankar for the first time as a composer.

What makes the two revelations particularly intriguing is the contrast. One plan involved Rajinikanth, A R Rahman and Michael Jackson during the making of 'Enthiran'. The other involved Ram Charan, Kiara Advani and Britney Spears for 'Game Changer'.

Neither crossover reached the screen. But the revelations offer a glimpse into the international scale at which Shankar and his music collaborators have sometimes imagined their films. From trying to bring the biggest pop star of his generation into a Rajinikanth film to exploring an English-language version of a Ram Charan song with Britney Spears, the ideas were certainly far bigger than what audiences eventually saw.