Dear Rahmaniacs, Subhash Ghai, speaks abt Taal, Kisna, and also abt YUvraj. He also talks abt the qualities of ARR. A very good Interview
Q :- You didnt work on any Director. You were writing scripts. Tell us SG ( Subhash Ghai ) :- I was never assistant to any Director. Right from my childhood, I used to write plays, direct them, in my college and University Days. It was my hobby. The hobby turned into profession. I studied in Delhi, and Pune. Q: You produce movies, You direct and produce movies, and you direct movies. Which among the three do you consider you are best at ? SG :- I write, I direct and I produce. Three Jobs I have to do. There are three persons in me, who keep fighting with each other. Writer keeps writing longer version of scripts. Director wants to cut it; Producer wants to control Director's economics; But I have managed to balance all this three, very smartly and very intelligently. Q :- what was your Dad and mom ? SG :- Mom was a teacher in Delhi, and my father was a Dental doctor. Q :- You have immense organational Capabilities and capacity. Who instills all these qualities in you ? Sg :- There are certain qualities ( traits ) which come from your family. Positively, all those humlity, humbleness are from my mom. Practical Living in this world , I learnt from my father. My father was more of a practical person, and my mom was more philsophical and spiritual person. Q :- Were you the only son or you had siblings ? SG :- No. I had two brothers and one sister. Q :- So, When did you meet RAHMAN ? SG :- It was a long back story. It was 1993. I remember , Rahman's Roja Film music was released. Few people were talking in Bombay. New boy coming out with a genius quality in him, compared to other Music Director. So, I was coming from Mysore to Bangalore. At that time, in the car, the driver was playing songs of Roja. The songs were being played, and I asked him whose film it is ?. He says that it is A.R. Rahman from Madras. I said, " ya ya. I have heard his name". So, I kept hearing those songs. So, it was two to three hours journey. So, I heard two three times. I could see a lot of talent, innovative quality because I have been trained under Laxmikanth Pyaralal for 20 years, and I had music sense from my childhood. So I had developed an ear for music. I talked to him; I love your music and am planning a film. I would like to have your services as Music Composer. So, he was quite excited and he said, " Even I love your Film " Hero", and I used to play Hero's tunes, while I was a keyboard player. So, immediately, we clicked with each other. It was a very mutual admiration for each other, and when I met him, I could see his clean and Divine qualities in this man. I remember when he said, " Lets do a good job". I talked to him about money. How much money I should pay?. He says, " Lets do a good music. We shall talk about it later". So I understood his character, and that he is more passionate about his work. And i started blending with him, and we started to work on a film called SHIKHAR, which finally couldnt place. But then , it happened in TAAL. I would say, that I was the first from the Hindi Film Industry who noticed him from the Bombay Industry and who came to work with him, and everyone in Bombay Industry was surprised to see me coming down and working with a South Indian Music Director. There were frowns and questions in Bombay, as to how a Music Director from South India, could make music for a Hindi Film, and find a place in Hindi Industry. In Hindi Music, there is always a Northern Music which is dominating. So, they were wondering, How I am going to justify ?. So, I told him, " Dont worry. YOu know the Indian Classical and Western Music well". And he really proved , while recording two songs . Ishq Bina Jeena Kya " was recorded first, which I later on recorded in Taal. This song initially did not belong to Taal. It was recorded for Shikhar. So, I could see the new kind of vibrations and growth in me, treating myself. We were colleagues, and not Guru. I could suggest him, the way Bolly wood works, the way Punjabi or Bengali music works. I learnt a lot of things from him, and of course can say, we shared knowledge together. It was always mutual respect, appreciations and admirations. Things really made fine strongly after TAAL. His music is always very challenging. A big Challenge for a Director to picturise, and he comes out with a different kind of a sound, different kind of phrases, which excites you, grows on you, on your minds. by gradual time. First time, you may feel little offensive hearing the sound, the kind of phrase it is. But when you listen it more, two three four times, it goes on for ever. The quality in his music is that Divinity in every song. be it be any song; A folk number or a dance number. He is at peace and there is something very attractive , very spiritual. Spirituality within himself has paid him a lot , and is revealed in his songs. I can understand, that sad songs will have some sort of spirituality in them, but having that quality in dancing numbers is ver rare. The Josh is there, but peace always prevails. Thats the thing which I always admire in him. The relationship between me and him is quite envious to other Directors. Q :- How does your composing go ? SG :- There is a secret. But anyway, I would like to share it here with you. When I narrated full script to him, I told him the mood of the music. From the musical point of view, I narrated the script. The situations which are going to dominate. So that he gets an idea from me that this film requires this. When I write a script, I think of music. There is rough kind of structure, impression of music in my mind. and those impressions I pass it out to my music Composer. I narrate the mood of the songs which I want; Humming songs etc The First song that was recorded for Taal was " Kareye Naa", and he had a very tough time, because I had given him some very interior traits of a Punjabi song. Though, he did not pick up any note from that song. He just listened to it, and was quite panicky as to how to do that song. I remember the trauma in his face while doing that song. But when he came out with that song, it was so brilliant. Actually, he had given me tune. I had given that tune to Anand Bakshi. Finally, when it came out, it was one of the most brilliant songs . Sometimes, he composes three four tunes for me, and then he leaves the studio, leaving the tape recorder with me, and I listen four five tunes. , and pick the ones, which matches to my story. All four tunes are good, but it has to match to my story. Some tunes, I used to tell him to keep it for me for my next film, ( though it was not matching for that particular story at present) . Then he keeps smiling and says, " Sir. there are other producers too". I remember Taal song. For Nahi Sammne song, I told him that it should be a sad song, and I wanted something like John Alton singing, How John Alton sings. His kind of songs. he looked at me, " Ok I understand . What you mean ". So , he told me to give him the lyrics first. So I told Anand Bakshi to write the lyrics , and he took the lyrics and started singing in that style. That song had come out so brilliantly, and its my most favourite song in that film. Most of the Films, Rahman has been excellent. In totality, he is an excellent composer. But it all depends sometimes on the story, The director's demand, the producer and he has to work accordingly. Its not independent music alone. It is working with the team. But, the tracks of Bombay shocked and amazed me, when I listened to the full track. I think Bombay is the best track, he has produced. So many other movies are there. But Bombay was a complete Album, including the Background Score. I still have the Background Score Album with me. He had given to me. He has always been brilliant with Maniratnam. Their rapport has been good always. I hope I am doign Yuvraaj, and am trying to produce a good musical for that film. Working with Rahman is a big challenge as a Director. You are answerable to his compositions on the screen. That keeps me worried all the time. Unfortunately, I couldnt learn music. I have developed a ear for music. I have listened to all kinds of music. I have huge collections of music all over the world. Though I dont know much of Western Music, if you come to my home, you can find a huge collection of Western Music collections.* I like the sound part of it. and that can be found in YUvraaj a lot. He has done a brilliant job in YUVRAAJ. * * * I think of the full Universe while making a film. I will always desire to make Indian movies, and not an international film. Films is about people, and you are expressing the story through your films, which have to suit your own audiences. *People expect a Commercial Quality as well as a Box Office, which is the biggest challenge for any Director, and which is killing me in Yuvraaj.* Kisna was revealed to me much later. I have written a story and picked up a script belonging to the 1930s. It was a period kind of a film. And the hero of such a film, belonged to a different set of values. Those Values were to serve and respect parents and the like etc . MY hero belonged to such Values, which did not click with the youngsters of 2000s. One of my nieces told me, that she didnt like my picture of Kisna. Why shouldnt the hero accept the White Girl, , when she is asking him to go to London?. Why shoudl he die going back, leading such a painful life ?. I told her that it was a story of the great grandfathers. So, it was not in line with the modern trend. I was very keen to work with Rahman. Rahman was the reeling force behind it. I felt very bad, when my last film Shikhar was dropped, due to some circumstances, and I had to make Pardes in between. So i did owe something to rahman. I was making some historical films, and then decided that I must make a musical film. A complete musical film. So I created a story, where all characters were musical. Musical backdrop ; So, when you create all these musical characters, you can pick up a thin story, so that you can elucidate the music part of it. I kept the name as Taal, so that I can commit to myself , and I came to Rahman and said, " Rahman . this is your film. I have written a story. Its a very thin story. I am going to expand it through music. I am very much depending on you, and you are going to be responsible equally as I am. He took a challenge and TAal is in front of you. I think Rahman is much ahead with respect to sound, or senstivity is concerned. I used to attend each and every recording of my songs. I woudl stay at his studio and wait, irrespective of whether musicians were there or not. I would also watch and observe the sound recording part of it. This precisely the reason, why I and Rahman enjoy together. Nobody can beat Rahman, as far as the sound is concerned. Rahman is an artist who can connect with God and this world in equal confidence. I am proud of Rahman, that he has thought over this idea about this Km Music Conservatory, and he has been sharing this idea , since I opened a International Film & Television Institute in Bombay. I have been sharing this idea of opening a school for the past 15 years. He came and visited the place. He is so thankful to God that he wants to share something with the society. I know its not going to be a commercial viable proposition for him. He is doing it for his passion. and its goodness in him, in sharing this with the younger generation. He is earning whatever is sufficient for an achiever. This is really a great and commendble job. I beleive the students must utilise it to the maximum extent, as everytime you wont get Rahman. -- regards, Vithur Whatever God wants to give, no one can deny; Whatever God wants to deny, no one can give. Be happy always
