[arr] Re: Sound of Rahman- Transcript

Thu, 11 May 2006 06:42:50 -0700

Excellent interview man.
and thanks alot for sharing.
Many great new infos.
Thanks alot,
Jawad.

In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "John jeevinth" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> Interview: Sound of Rahman
>
> Rajeev Masand
> *
>
> He is considered India's most respected musicians. He has been
credited with
> giving Indian film music a global, a more original, more unique
sound. He is
> also one of the highest selling artists in the world, having sold
more than
> 50 million albums in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and English. He has also
made a
> very successful crossover to the West, while his roots, his first
love,
> continues to be Indian music. He is A R Rahman.
> *
>
> In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN's Entertainment Editor
*Rajeev Masand
> *, *A R Rahman *talks about Rang De Basanti, his music and some of
his
> outstanding works.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *The most obvious question first: Where did the
dreadlocks
> go?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I went for Haj, so I had to get them off. Or you can
say, to
> washed my sins, I got my hair chopped off.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**That was your most marked characteristic. Do you
miss them?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I know, but my wife likes me better now.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**Rang De Basanti, your most recent work, is a film
which
> really marked a milestone. Isn't it? Apart from the fact that it
has great
> music and it's a great album, it is one of those rare soundtracks
where the
> theme is blended perfectly with the music. Your earlier work Bombay
and Taal
> were also examples of that. Do you agree?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, I think so. The process with *Rang De Basanti
*started
> when Rakeysh (Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, the film's director) told
me the
> story, which had freedom fighters in it. I was working on *Legend
of Bhagat
> Singh* with Santosh*ji* at that time. So, I said that I would not
do another
> film like this. Of course *Rang De Basanti* happened four years
later.
>
> When I started on this film last year, what we decided to do was
not to have
> anything which is preachy and going to bring people down. We wanted
to go
> abstract and go counter-point, like people and children are dying
there and
> we have a happy soundtrack, which is *Ru Ba Ru *and going to the
light and
> there is more positivity rather than going along with the film.
>
> In fact, everything is in opposites -- like the song *Khalbali*,
which has
> the word *'ziddi *(stubborn)', and it came because of the tune. And
then the
> way after the song was recorded, which Rakeysh used in the film,
when Bhagat
> Singh refuses to take any food and becomes '*ziddi'*. Now that is
the stroke
> of a genius. And that's how things should be done, more
interactively, not
> by having a per se idea and defining it. If you want to break and
go on to
> the next level, you need to take a chance. Sometimes, it works out
this way.
> And in this film, it all worked out, I guess.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** One of my favourite songs in Rang De Basanti
soundtrack is
> Lukka Chhupi. I have read a fair bit of criticism about the song,
largely
> perhaps because it is a collaboration with Lata Mangeshkar. I could
be
> wrong, but I guess the reason should have been Lata Mangeshkar. The
song is
> really a mother's call and a mother's song.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* See, the song was not designed to be in the film at
all. I was
> doing the film and I was doing *Ru Ba Ru *and *Khalbali *and
*Pathshaala*. I
> felt it was all upbeat and modern. What was the film about? It is
about a
> call of a mother. It is how the characters in the film change. I was
> actually hearing a song from *Born On The Fourth Of July
*soundtrack and
> there is a song, which goes this way: *'Where have you been my blue-
eyed
> son'.
> *
>
> I thought why not do a similar song for the film. It is very
abstract, it
> takes the inner feeling of the film into a soundtrack. So I was
telling
> Zaria, and Rakeysh was saying, "Mmm... OK." And Prasoon, of course,
said it
> won't work. We then came up with *Lukka Chhupi*. I said why don't
we have an
> answer for the mother who calls. And in a way, I was trying to do a
duet
> with Lata Mangeshkar, which I had wanted to do for a long time,
because
> whenever I had approached, it never happened. The plan got
cancelled for
> almost six times, until it finally happened.
>
> So, in which scene will this song fit in is the next question,
right? When
> we tried to spot the scenes, it fitted exactly with Waheeda*ji* and
the
> death. But then the reverberation of the song is within the film
and outside
> the film also. So, I feel doing a song is taking me from the
cliché' of
> situation which films have. And working outside it and then fitting
it in.
> So all these things fitted in.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** You have just signed up as world ambassador for
World
> Space. This is not the first time that you have endorsed a brand.
How long
> does it take or how do you decide as to what is it that you want to
get
> attached to and don't ?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I probably was the first one to get the radio of World
Space. I
> just wanted to check it out first. I was really impressed with the
variety
> and the manner World Space had put up their advertisements. I did
not know
> that here was a policy of not having any hassle in it, which is
brilliant. I
> remember 20 years back, I used to go all the way to Bangalore to
pick up my
> favourite music, and here we have everything on the touch-move-
button
> --jazz, classical, pop. So when they ask me, I said: "Yes, let's do
it!"
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**You were in Toronto recently for the opening of the
Lord Of
> The Rings musical. Tell me, was that a daunting task, for doing a
score for
> that? Especially, because the comparisons between the musical and
Lord Of
> The Rings film series were almost inevitable and especially because
those
> films have gone on to become cult films.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I think people very well know what is possible on
stage and
> what is not. In films, you can add a lot of special effects and get
away
> with. But to do something like this on stage is an incredible task.
We have
> to give it to them the way they produce it and direct it and how
they have
> put up this whole thing. It was a big gamble and they have
succeeded in it.
> And being a part of it is a nice feeling.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *You have composed music for a musical before,
including
> Bombay Dreams. Was Bombay Dreams perhaps a little easier,
especially because
> you were familiar with the milieu. It was a story of a boy who
wants to
> become an actor in Bollywood?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* One more thing is *Bombay Dreams *is a musical, which
was
> written around the music of life. So we already knew that Ayesha
was going
> to be in it. Taal's music was going to be in it. The music was
written
> around it. But here it was vice-versa, we have script and the
successful
> movies and they said do not derive inspiration from the movies. No
music
> should come out of the movie, but it should be original from the
book. So
> this is more difficult, this is really difficult. And I worked with
Bartana,
> who is from Finland. Ultimately, when the music was put together,
you could
> only see the scene and the episode there and get excited rather
than trying
> to research which music is whose and cannot find that out.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *Your music is quite a rage among Chinese
filmmakers. Your
> score in Warriors of Heaven and Earth became immensely popular. You
have
> apparently been getting lots of offers from Chinese filmmakers. Is
that
> true?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, there were a couple of offers which came in, but
then I
> was busy on this side.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *Is it difficult doing a Chinese score? What's the
challenge
> there?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* The challenge for me was not just doing a Chinese
film. It was
> about the *Silk Route*, the Turkish and the Russian influence, and
all those
> stuff. Working of the film was really good. For the first time, I
got to
> work with the Prague Orchestra and the orchestral experience was
really
> something.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**Which you used again in Mangal Pandey…*
> *
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**If I ask you to pick your most under-rated film
score out of
> 1947 Earth, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bose... which one do you
think had
> the most under-rated score which could have perhaps done well, but
didn't ?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I want every film score I do to do well. But some
don't,
> because there are a lot of actors involved. Yet, it adds to the
repertoire
> because someday people might listen to it in a different frame of
mind. Like
> when I did Mani Ratnam's Iruvar, I literally had a person asking me
why did
> I do a score which looked so old-fashioned. He didn't know that it
was a
> period film. There are so many elements and when people come to
know about
> them, then after a year they buy the same music.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *You are dodging the question. Which is that one
score that
> you were disappointed with, perhaps because of its failure?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, sometimes you get disappointed, but then its not
just you,
> it's the entire team that gets disappointed because it did not
succeed. *
> Bose*, I know that most people wouldn't have listened to it at all.
Most
> people won't be having a cassette or a CD of it. I hope it gets
released
> soon as I have heard it was finally getting released some time
(soon). I
> hope that gets done.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *Have you ever been embarrassed by the way a song
has been
> filmed?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, a lot of times. But, I guess the people are
intelligent
> enough now to know all that, what is personal and what is not, and
what is
> done for the movie.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *You won't take any names?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* No.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *We know that Mani Ratnam has been an influence and
a
> mentor. While you were doing ad films, he offered you Roja and most
of your
> best work has been with him. Tell us as to what kind of
relationship do you
> share with him. Is it something apart from just the director-
composer
> relationship? Are you two friends? Do you hang out outside the
studio?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* We don't hang out much (laughs). What is really a
relationship?
> A relationship means the first good experiences, like first love
and you
> always remember that. He picked up the best out of my work and
said, "This
> is you." He was the first one who gave me a good work. For us, it's
been a
> challenge to cross each thing from *Bombay *to *Iruvar*. Whenever
we sit, we
> don't talk about old things, rather we try sharing a new frequency
to create
> the same magic again.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Your score for Roja was ranked by the Time
magazine as one
> of the 10 best scores in the world. How do you look back at it now,
since so
> many years have passed since Roja? Is that flattering?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, it's quite flattering. It's a small world, isn't
it? You
> see *Inside Man* using *Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan, Lord of War *using
*Bombay *theme.
>
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**Do you think Roja is your best work?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* It's probably my first good work. Like I said about
Mani
> Ratnam, who gave me my first good work. It brings back all those
memories.
> It gave me the urge to go further and maintain quality work,
crossing over
> to the North Indian audience with the film, lyrics which were never
imagined
> before.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan is one song that you've always
been
> remembered for. People continue to love this one song. It was used
in Bombay
> Dreams, in Hollywood films, Spike Lee's Inside Man… Do you ever
feel like
> telling people to get over with it and look at your new work? Do
you ever
> feel that it is a like a double-edged sword?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* It was very strange how *Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan *was
done. I
> wanted a Punjabi singer for *Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan*, while I had
Nusrat's
> voice in my head. I asked my friend Brijbhushan in Bombay if he
knew anybody
> like that. He suggested me three names. Finally he said 'Mr Singh'
will be
> coming in.
>
> I had expected somebody with a turban . That's when Sukhwinder
Singh landed
> in Chennai. He was working on Govind Nihlani's *Thakshak *and I
asked him if
> he knew any Sufi lyrics because his voice has that Sufi touch. He
said,
> "Yes, I know this." We went to a room and then did *Chhaiyyan
Chhaiyyan*. It
> was lying there for one year. I wanted to use it for my album
*Vande Mataram
> *, but it didn't fit in. Then Mani asked me if I had a tune for his
next
> film. I said something is ready and he immediately liked it. Then
Gulzar *sahib
> *wrote the lyrics. It was first *Thaiyan Thaiyan *and then it was
changed to
> *Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan*. At that time, I realised that it had the
potential.
> The intention of doing this song was not to make it into a film
song. It had
> that Sufi aspect.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Gulzar sahib once said, "A R Rahman's greatest
achievement
> is that he didn't mess around with my lyrics." Is that something
you like to
> elaborate on?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, I do. And where is the need to mess around with
the lyrics
> when somebody writes them so perfectly?
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**You have often confessed that you are not so
familiar with
> Hindi.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* (Laughs) Yes, I can't talk but my vocabulary is better
than
> what it used to be. I have been learning Urdu. I can't talk but I
can read
> now and I can understand most of the vocabulary. The thing about
words,
> certain words give you a sound and meaning, if you get the right
kind of
> balance, the song becomes a hit and everybody takes pride in it.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**So many actors, especially in Hindi films, have
been singing
> their own songs and you have said that it is good for actors to
know how to
> sing so that they can act as if they are singing themselves.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes, like in the West, actors never practise to use
someone
> else's voice. Nicole Kidman used her own voice in *Moulin Rouge*. I
think
> that should happen in India too. It will be good if actors learn
music
> because it will make our industry more credible. It will be good if
these
> things could happen simultaneously.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Let me put you in a tough situation. What do you
think of
> Aamir, Shah Rukh or Amitabh, who've been singing their own songs?
What do
> you think of them as singers?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I think they are intelligent enough to choose songs,
which go
> along their own voice. You can't expect classical songs being sung
by kind
> of actors like Shah Rukh. They don't want to torture people like
that.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**You said some of your songs were composed in two
days while
> some of them took up to 45 days. How do you know when a song is
ready?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* It's based on one's instinct. Sometimes, when you
overwork on
> something you go back and sometimes abruptness is the best.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:* *Over the years, you've sung many songs yourself.
Like, Ye
> jo des hai mera, in Swades, Chale Chalo from Lagaan, or Ru Ba Ru
from Rang
> De Basanti. How do you know when a song requires your own voice?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Sometimes I've worked from the scratch using my own
voice. Like
> in *Dil Se*, Mani said why don't you sing it in your own voice. Or
when I
> did *Ye Jo Des*…Ashutosh Gowarikar suggested that I should be
singing this
> song. Initially, I was supposed to sing *Ek Taara *but it didn't
match Shah
> Rukh's voice.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Has it ever happened that you recorded a song in
your voice
> and the director told you that someone could have sung this better?
> Sukhwinder Singh or Shankar Mahadevan? Has it ever happened to you?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* I would be the first one to suggest such a thing
(laughs). The
> last thing I want to do is put my voice in a song. There are so
many lovely
> singers out there and I would love to get their contribution in my
music.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**You daughters are learning music as well. In fact,
they are
> on the soundtrack of Mangal Pandey...
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* They are getting trained, but they have not been
singing so
> much. It's just to give them a choice that they can take up music
if they
> want to.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:**So in many ways, it's like a legacy you want to
give them.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Yes. That's true.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Talking about Mangal Pandey, apparently you've
still not
> been paid entirely for your work in the film. Does that upset you
since the
> actor and the producer of the film have gone on record saying that
the movie
> was highly successful. Not only did they recover the entire
investment in
> the first week, but that they made a lot of money.
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* That's a very delicate question. Mr Bedi came the day
an
> article on it was published. He promised me that everything will be
settled
> sometime in July. I didn't want to go the legal way. He is a nice
man and I
> trust his word. Besides, everybody has been watching everything.
All these
> things were not intentional I guess.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Please tell us what do you like to do when you are
not
> working? What kind of a husband are you? What kind of a father are
you?
> **
>
> A R Rahman:* Good question (laughs). I think you should be asking
this to my
> wife and children. My mother, my kids are very supportive of me.
They always
> know what I'm going through. I also try to play my role as best as
I can
> within the limitations of my schedule.
> *
>
> Rajeev Masand:** Let's hope you have lots of time for them. Let's
also hope
> we can see lots of interesting work from you in India and outside
it. Thank
> you very much.
> *
>










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