Q: Your foray into western projects was not exactly well received in India. Would you agree? A: Yeah. But it was never meant for the Indian audience. It was composed keeping the western market in mind. What was interesting was my trying to learn something different to put back into Indian films. The experience also helped me greatly develop a relationship with musicians and producers abroad. It helped build a bridge to a western audience, which is great.* Now there are westerns who follow my music, a small one but a strong one.*
You betcha ARR Sir. We are a small but strong group indeed. But you keep delivering stuff like SDM , you are going to be the Pied Piper of Hamelin ... err.. i mean Hollywood :) On Sun, Dec 14, 2008 at 6:27 AM, Gopal Srinivasan <catchg...@yahoo.com>wrote: > After a long time, an ARR interview in Filmfare. > > Filmfare > December 24, 2008 > > rhythm's gonna get you > Faheem Ruhani catches up with music maven A.R.Rahman > > You > seldom catch A.R.Rahman in a frisky mood. I am however, one of the > fortunate few. I discover his funny vein when I taxi down to Film City > to meet the music maestro atSubhash Ghai's film training academy > Whistling Woods. In today's musical cacophony he's easily the jewel in > the junkyard. 2008 has been clearlyRahman's whammy year. With back-to-back > chartbusters like Jodhaa Akbar and Jaane Tu.... Ya Jaane Na. He was also the > only silver lining in the grin Yuvvraaj. Currently, all years and ears are > glued to the soundtrack of Ghajini. The perfect synthesis of East and West, > Rahman is every filmmaker's > dream and nightmare come true. Nightmare, because you have to wait > interminable hours outside his Chennai music studio. Waiting for the > master to belt out his melodies. Dream, because very tune is designed > to buoy up the musical bar codes. Which adds up to the right time for > me to meet the diminutive 42-year old composer for a quick round of > questions. > > Excerpts from a musical chat: > > Q: Your Slumdog > Millionaire has earned rave reviews. How is composing for an > international director like Danny Boyle different from composing forSubhash > Ghai or Mani Ratnam? > A: > Danny Boyle seemed like someone I had known from my salad days. He > loved the music I liked to experiment with during my earlier days as a > music composer. It was almost as if I was coming full circle. This was > the stuff I always wanted to do and now I had a director willing to tap > that. It all happened like a flash in two months. Each director is > unique and comes with his different set of experiences. It's like one > man's food is another person's poison but both have their unique > quality. While Mani sir is very futuristic,Ghai saab has an uncanny > understanding of the pulse of the North Indian audience. In a way, working > with Ghai saab helped me learn a lot and I have also unlearnt some stuff. > > Q: You were assisting Illayaraja at one point and your assistant Harris > Jayaraj has now branched out independently. When you look back, what > thoughts come to your mind? > A: I think music is a gift to people and you cannot deny it to anyone. > People like Raja sir are a legend and Harris has a great understanding and > sense of setting lyrics to music. I also like music composer Yuvan Shankar. > We meet sometimes dung awards ceremonies. In the pressure of finishing > your work, you end up not listening to the good compositions of others. > You can't casually say this is good or bad.Illayaraja and Harris are both > popular and I respect them. > > Q: Harris Jayaraj scored the music for the Tamil version of Ghajini. You've > done so for the Hindi remake. Are you ready for the comparisons? > A: > (Laughs) Yes there will be good and bad comparisons. But, I am prepared > for them. No can replace anyone. I have not seen the original Tamil > film because I didn't want to be influenced by it. I wanted to finish > my work and then watch the film. > > Q: What roles has your apprenticeship with Illayaraja played in the music > person that you are today? > A: Err... Illayaraja's influence is so overwhelming on everyone in Tamil > Nadu, > it almost permeates your body. I respect his music so much. But just to > get my style in, I had to stay away from his music. In the past when I > have said that people read it out of context and things got > misunderstood. > > Q: You mentioned you had fights with Subhash Ghai over the music of > Yuvvraaj. > A: > (Giggles) Oh I said that to make conversations with journalists spicy. > Otherwise, it's boring. Well, we had creative differences, just > agreeing to disagree , deciding on what works best for the film and > trying to strike a balance between what we like and what the producers > want. > > Q: This is the first time you have composed for Salman Khan. Was he > involved in the music? > A: No, this is the second time. I did a film earlier called Dil Ne Jise > Apne Kaha, which he starred in. I did two songs for the film but couldn't > complete it as something came up for me in London. > > Q: You have a yen for sufi numbers and most of the time you end up singing > them as well. What's your take on sufism? Are you sufi at heart? > A: > I try to be one but nobody can be. It's tough to, in this materialistic > world. Sometimes you switch off from everything and you are at peace. > That training of mine is a real boon. Of course, a lot of music is > being passed off as Sufi music these days. But very few of them have > the real soul. Most of them don't. > > Q: It seems a filmmaker needs a great amount of patience to work with you. > A: > For every kind of art, you need patience. (Laughs). It's not an ATM > vending machine where you can insert a card and get money. > > Q: People say you best at composing romantic songs. Do you agree? > A: > Music is romance. It is filled with many things that make up romance - > the sad part and the joyous part. I will take it as a compliment. > Thanks. > > Q: You feel very strongly about intellectual property rights. Is that why > you and Shah Rukh Khan couldn't come together on Om Shanti Om? > A: > Well, in the West, every artiste's rights are protected in a good way > and back way. For example if one person gives a hit, his life is made. > But there's danger of becoming complacent. We don't want that, we want > to work to continue to strive to do better. At the same time, I am > trying to do different things. Like opening this school, starting a > label. (Laughs). And I need money to support all that. As a musician, > different avenues have recently opened up. It's there in the field of > publishing also. I made a choice and then they also make a choice. > There are no hang-ups or fights. > > Q: So have there been filmmakers who probably wanted to work with you but > kept away due to IPR issues? > A: > They all know my terms (Laughs). So they don't approach me in any case > They are aware of the positive and negative aspects of working with me. > > Q: So, it's like a package deal, take it or leave it, right? > A: Not really. Some of the work I do is not for money. (Laughs). I do it > for the love of music but I can't do so forever. > > Q: Your foray into western projects was not exactly well received in India. > Would you agree? > A: > Yeah. But it was never meant for the Indian audience. It was composed > keeping the western market in mind. What was interesting was my trying > to learn something different to put back into Indian films. The > experience also helped me greatly develop a relationship with musicians > and producers abroad. It helped build a bridge to a western audience, > which is great. Now there are westerns who follow my music, a small one > but a strong one. > > Q: What role does the story of the film play when you compose music for it? > A: > (Laughs) It's important to know the story just ensure that you don't > end up with the wrong kind of film. Because, I believe, the audience > comes to the theatre to forget their pain. I try to avoid anything > negative even if it be for the sake of art > > Q: You are a great fan of the music of Subhash Ghai's Karz. What did you > think of Himesh Reshamiyya's music for Karzzzz? > A: Funnily, I haven't watched either film. I have only seen Subhash Ghai's > Hero. I do like some of Himesh's compositions. I can't elaborate but I think > he is a good musician. > > Q: HImesh has said that you are the only music director for whom he would > sing? > A: Oh, we have finally got a song for him! We'll call him very soon but > whether he sings it or not is up to him. > > Q: > You were part of a rock band before you started composing ad jingles. > Don't you think you would have been just right to compose for a film > like Rock On!? > A: We had actually started work on a film called Rock Star three years ago, > which was to be directed by Imtiaz Ali. I even got an okay from the > legendary Carlos Santana to play for it. Unfortunately, UTV backed out from > the project. It's a shame. I had almost done three songs for it. But I am > glad that Rock On! happened. > > Q: Some of your other projects like Bose: The Forgotten Hero and Provoked > were not really well received. > A: I wouldn't say it wasn't well received. It wasn > 't well promoted. When something is good, it has its own life. Now > people are noticing and talking about Bose. By the way, I only did the > background score for Provoked. > > Q: Does it take a lot of convincing on the part of the filmmakers to > convince you to compose music for their films? > A: I would love to do everyone's > film because they all come with with so much love and affection but I > don't have the energy to knock off 15 films a year. I am so heart > broken when I have to say 'No". I am trying to balance my family life > and my professional life. Thank God, I don't have a social life. > > Q: You had collaborated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan 12 years ago. Are there > more collaborations in the offing? > A: > I recently collaborated with this hip-hop artist called M.I.A. She is > very big in the IS and we did the entire track together for OSaya from > Slumdog Millionaire. The film is going to the Oscars. I don't know if it > will get shortlisted, but 20th Century Fox is sending the M.I.A. track and > another one called Jai Ho. > > Q: Do you think critics are much easier on you now? > A: > (Laughs) I think I have taken enough pointers from them, so, I guess... > my hardest critic is me. That's the reason why, even after mixing > forGhajini, I listened to it for some time and then went back to it and > spent another week on the entire score. (Laughs). Hence the delay. > > Q: How come you haven't worked with Aditya Chopra or Karan Johar? Is it > because you refuse to come to Mumbai and record? > A: I met Aditya Chopra once. I have met Karan Johar too. He called me for > his birthday party once but unfortunately, I was stuck with something else. > > Q: Weren't you supposed to to the background score for Sanjay Leela > Bhansali's Black? > A: (Laughs) Yeah, that never happened for some strange reason. I have to > mention that I recently bought the DVD of Saawariya and played it on my High > Definition projector. I couldn't get the sound on, but I loved the visuals. > > Q: Vishal Shekhar remixed an old number for Bachna Ae Haseeno originally > composed by RD Burman. Would you do something like that? > A: I did something like that in the South and got into trouble. I did it in > good spirit but people took it in the wrong spirit. I would rather not play > around with anyone's work. > > Q: You haven't done too many classical based numbers, except for some in > Lagaan, 1947 Earth, Jodhaa Akbar and now Yuvvraaj. > > A: I would love to do it. The director of Shalimar, Krishna Shah, had come > up to me with a very good script about Baiju Bawra and Tansen. We were about > to start the project, but it never happened. > > Q: > You are one of the few south Indian music directors to have > consistently struck it big int he Hindi film industry. Have you ever > experienced the North-South divide? > A: Never. It's very strange when people say that. It's very disheartening > to know people > fight about the South Indian - North Indian issue. I don't think all > this recent oppression about language and religion is good. All this > should beavoided. > > Q: Any dreams? > A: I don't dream at all > nowadays. If something interesting comes up in the form of an email or > a phone call, I take it on. God has blessed me. Actually my dream has > already come true, I wanted to start a school and I actually have. I > have 100 students in the school. Recently, I saw some of my students > perform and it was really gratifying. When I first heard themperform , > I'd thought to myself, 'Oh my God, you have a task here'. But now, > after three months, they've changed completely. You have to hand it to > the faculty. > > Q: What determines whether you will get along well with a director? > A: Well that's a nightmare actually. It could be either heaven or hell. Ram > Gopal Varma introduced me to Shekhar Kapur. I have known him for the last 14 > years. We have only > worked together twice. He's the toughest director with whom I've worked > with. His thinking is way beyond. To think like him takes patience. And > of course time. > > Q: Did religion come to you as a salve? You have often said it saved you. > What do you think of the current climate of intolerance? > A: > I think each one has to undertake his spiritual journey. For me, it's > been great learning experience. I have met the right kind of people and > imbibed the right kind of knowledge and guidance. That's what's most > important. The guidance can take a negative or a positive toll. All my > guides have been Sufis. For them, it's only about love, tolerance, > compassion and healing. That's the way I live my life too. For me, > every being is a creation of God, whatever religion you may belong to. > > Q: Of your three children, which of them seem the most musically inclined? > A: > (Laughs) Err... It's a difficult questions. I have started a music > school but I don't have teachers for my own kids. My music faculty is > busy teaching other kids. So, getting them initiated into music is one > thing I have to look into right away. My eldest daughter is 12 years > old, the middle one is 10 and the youngest is six. > > Q: You had a difficult childhood and have struggled to reach this position. > What lessons did you pick up on the way? > A: I think the most important > lesson is: you get what you give. If you give hatred you get hatred. If > you give love, you get love and if you wish someone harm, you are > harmed I try toavoid backbiting or any other negative emotions. If I > don't have good things to say about people, I don't say anything > because how can you judge another person? It's all a matter of > one'sperspective. > > Q: Where do you derive your inspiration? Do you have a muse? > A: My inspiration is my love > for music. That's how I derive energy and motivation. My new motivation > is my music school. The more I work as a composer, the better equipped > I am to sponsor theactivities of the school. > > Q: Apart from music, about what else are you passionate? > A: (Laughs) Umm... I am passionate about... I can't think of anything else > beyond music. But yes, I am fascinated by filmmaking. I see as many movies > as I can. I like to see films with which I am not involved - Italian or > Chinese films. There is a lot of stuff I would love to watch but I don't > have the time. I like (Iranian directors) Majid Majidi and Mohsen > Makhmalbaf. I have recently become a fan of Danny Boyle too. > > Q: What are the prerequisites for a good musician? > A: I don't know. I just try to discover and rediscover new things. In the > process, I also discover myself. > >
