Super Aravind... Thanks a tonne On Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 7:11 AM, Aravind AM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi all,, > In today,s TOI there's a full page article with some superb photos of ARR. > The article is also available in e-paper format... > I've also attached a pdf of the article... > (to view the photos visit TOI e-paper site, or download the pdf here: > http://www.mediafire.com/?bvnz44z1poj > It's also attached with the mail. > > > > Change is about moving forward On April 20, A R Rahman will perform at The > Times of India Chennai Changing Notes Concert. As he shot a promo video for > the concert, the mellifluous maestro told us why he loves Chennai, and what > changes he'd like to see *Shalini Umachandran | TNN * > > > > AndrewLloyd Webber, among others, likes to call him the 'Mozart of > Madras'. But A R Rahman defies definition. The prodigy who studied western > classical at Trinity College of Music went on to redefine Bollywood scores. > Having brought world sound to Indian cinema, he also put his version of > contemporary Indian music — which blends techno, rap, latino, disco, reggae > and ragas into a sumptuous potpourri — on the world map. He made Broadway > swing to Bollywood Dreams, and composed stirring anthems for the stage > version of The Lord of the Rings. > > Through it all, Rahman has constantly reinvented himself. But then, so > has the city which will always be home to him. Simultaneously centre of > culture and commerce, traditional and cosmopolitan, Chennai blends the old > and new with the same effortlessness as Rahman. Maybe the controlled chaos > of Chennai's constant flux has seeped into Rahman's soul, and is reflected > in his dazzling ouvre — always fresh, never predictable. > > Like Chennai and its famous child, The Times of India too has always > celebrated change. Like them, we too believe in staying in tune with > changing times. That's why it made perfect sense for The Times of India to > launch an edition in Chennai. And why Rahman is the perfect person to help > us celebrate the city and our launch, with The Times of India Chennai > Changing Notes concert on April 20. To be held at St George's school > grounds, the concert (co-sponsors SAE, TVS Flame, United India Insurance, > Olympia) is already creating a buzz, with TOI readers lining up to get > passes for what promises to be a standing-room only blockbuster. > > Rahman has already composed music for a special Times of India promo, > which he'll perform at the concert. A tip-off: there'll be many > distinctively Chennai sounds in it, including waves breaking on the beach, > an auto driver tooting a horn, a pujari with sunglasses revving up his bike, > a boy beating out a tattoo on a kodam, a streetside vendor making egg > parathas. > > But that will be then. Right now, we're waiting to interview Rahman as > he shoots a video to promote the concert. Technicians drape a bright green > monochrome cloth on a wall and set up lights, while a harried director calls > out directions. A red and orange towel with a dolphin covers the camera, > four electricians struggle to get the air-conditioning working, and assorted > assistants drift around chatting on phones. Cans of film, umbrellas, a rack > full of men's clothing and, bizarrely, a shower head lie scattered around > the room. Apart from the view of a surprisingly green Chennai from the > floor-to-ceiling glass windows on one side, there's nothing to distract from > the fact that we're all in an immense, stuffy, grey space on the top floor > of the Acropolis building on Radhakrishnan Salai. > > An hour later, the director decides to move the non-action upstairs — > to the terrace of a 12-storey building at 3 in the afternoon. He gets his > assistants to remove all the railings, set up a round trolley that looks > like a giant's toy railway track and re-assemble the camera — this time > without the dolphin towel. > > Back downstairs, the producer gets a phone call. "He's crossing > Gemini," she shouts. The make-up man who's been doing a good imitation of a > meditating Buddha comes to life and shakes his assistant awake. They drag > chairs across the floor to create a make-up table. The light boys do a quick > check. The air-conditioner booms to life, as if it's been waiting for > India's most famous contemporary musician too. > > Rahman walks in wearing a blue kurta over jeans, looking surprisingly > schoolboylike, and greets the director with a cheery, "I tried calling you, > ya, to tell you I was late but you were out of range." > > He's taken to see the clothing rack; he prefers the sherwani to the > suit, the blue scarf to the red. The make-up man goes to work with his > brushes, sponges, combs and clippers and once he's done, clicks a photograph > on his mobile phone and passes it across to Rahman for his opinion. "What do > you think, better without gel, no?" Rahman asks the director. "You decide," > is the answer. A yellowand-white striped towel is whipped out and Rahman > willingly submits to having his head toweled vigorously. Then it's time for > him to slip into the sherwani and head upstairs for the "round trolley > shot". > > Rahman's keyboard has been set up in the centre of the circle created > by the trolley. While the cameraman makes some final adjustments and a > couple of boys pleat his blue scarf, Rahman walks around the terrace — > shaded by one of the umbrellas — and takes in the view of Chennai. Cloudless > blue sky above, shimmering sea in the distance, buildings, trees and roads > below. > > "I'd like to see this city greener," he muses. "I'd like to see more > artists, more space for artists, actually. I'd like to see less cluttered > traffic. I'd love to see an underground. I'd like to see preservation of the > old, while we move ahead with the new. Change is good, change is about > moving forward, I'm always receptive to change." Shooting starts and we're > told to stay behind the camera. As the trolley picks up speed and circles > Rahman at the keyboard, we find ourselves running to stay out of sight. The > director sends us all downstairs to wait with a disgusted, "If you can't run > fast enough to stay behind the camera, you can't watch." Once the trolley > shots are done, we're allowed to troop back upstairs to watch Rahman being > shot against the distant sea, with buildings in the background, silhouetted > against the setting sun. He's made to let his scarf fly out behind him, > "like Batman," he jokes with the crew. "You should have got my son to shoot > this." Then he looks out to sea, savouring his city. > > "Food, family, roots… these are just some of the things that make this > city home. And then there are the important, intangible factors — certain > things that cannot be explained," he sighs. > > Bombay Dreams, The Lord of the Rings > > and other projects required him to spend twothirds of his year in London a > few years ago, not his idea of fun. "I missed Chennai. London is a wonderful > city, but it's not Chennai, not home. We have much to preserve and much to > look forward to —that's something we need to remember while we change. "We > also have to be the change," says the man who missed listening to a symphony > orchestra and so "decided to do something about it and start my own > orchestra". Time for the next shot. Rainmaking with Rahman. The shower head > is fitted to a hose connected to a tap and passed up to a technician on a > stool holding a sieve. Rahman puts his hand out gingerly,another technician > at the tap turns it on. A few minutes of getting his hands wet and we're > done for the day. The yellow and white towel appears again and Rahman dries > his hand. > > As his make-up is removed, he says, "I'd love to see an underground, a > symphony hall, big productions of musicals like The Lion King — who knows, > it may happen sooner than you think… Oh! and I'd love to see snow in > Chennai." > > > > > Cheers > Aravind > > > > http://arrahmaniac.blogspot.com > > > > > -- regards, Vithur Whatever God wants to give, no one can deny; Whatever God wants to deny, no one can give. Be happy always
