‘It’s easy to make the change, melody is universal’ SUBHASH K JHA The Times of India
HERE’S another first for AR Rahman. The maverick musician is entering Kannada cinema for the first time. It’s for a film being produced by Dr J Murli Manohar for whom Rahman has scored earlier in the Tamil and Hindi versions of Jeans; Rahman also did the background score for Dr Murli’s most recent film, Provoked. Says Rahman, “The songs were with Dr Murli for a Tamil film. He decided to use them in Kannada in Sajini. This isn’t the first time that my songs have gone from one language to another. Mani Ratnam’s Alai Payuthe in Tamil became Saathiya in Hindi. The only difference is, this time I wasn’t physically present in Bangalore to make the transition. My assistant did the needful.” Sajini is a love story, featuring the hot and happening Dhyaan and debutante Sharmila. It has been shot on a lavish scale in Kent and London and it’s one of the most expensive films in Kannada. Says Dhyaan, “No effort has been spared in ensuring that Sajini is unlike anything that’s been seen by the Kannada audience. And this is the first film I’ve done with music by Rahman. Both my co-star Sharmila and I can feel the differences in the rhythm and melody.” Smiles Rahman, “Actually it was easy to change the language of the songs in Sajini from Tamil to Kannada because they are melody based. And melody is universal.”
