Full transcript of ARR Interview in "Mail Today": Whys Rahman an angry man It took aGolden Globe nomination to reassure A. R. Rahman of his musical genius. In afreewheeling interview, he vents his frustration of being confined within Bollywoods creative straitjacket. W SHARIN BHATTI It took aGolden Globe nomination to reassure A. R. Rahman of his musical genius. In afreewheeling interview, he vents his frustration of being confined within Bollywoods creative straitjacket.
WHITE is his favourite colour. His wardrobe is predominately white. >From kurtas ( his favourite outfit) to shirts and even trousers A. R. Rahmans walls, studio and even his website are splashes of white light. " Its the colour of peace and gives me inner peace. White gives me a sense of surrender," he philosophises. Surrender he has completely to the sound of music, and earned awards and accolades for himself and his country. The latest is the Golden Globe nomination for the best soundtrack for Slumdog Millionaire , Danny Boyles critically acclaimed film based on Vikas Swaroops novel, Q& A . But Rahman wears the honour lightly. He didnt really need to be assured that hes a genius. More than the happiness and the faith that greater things are to follow, one senses an undercurrent of bitterness in Rahman. After the initial exchange of congratulations, Rahman talks about his Bollywood trysts with a pinch of salt. " I think its time for me to be exclusive. I am not going to do a number of Bollywood projects. After 16 years behind the console, I am sounding repetitive to myself. I will only work with friends now," says the usually reticent Rahman. Is this the " man of a few words" who has been considered Indian musics finest stalwart? More than a feeling of accomplishment, Rahman is experiencing a sense of being cheated. " I dont want to hurt anyones feelings," he says. " I have scaled the heights of my creative self because of this brand called Bollywood. But I simply cant recycle my old stuff. I want to explore and create more forms of music. And there are only a few who allow me to do so. I will now work with only them." It is hard to digest a dose of reality from a man whose practised silence all these years has become the norm. The man has a point. In an industry that revels in the greatness of artists who blatantly churn out melodies borrowed from all over the world, Rahmans angst seems reasonable. REASSURING HONOUR His last soundtracks for Yuvvraaj and ADA: A Way of Life have done average business. The last big sound track was Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na , where Rahman dabbles in jazz and funk for the first time in Bollywood. The only time in the past year, he says, he felt like an innovator was when he wrote the background score and theme for Shekhar Kapurs Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Slumdog Millionaire , of course. Ironically, it took an international credit to reassure Rahman of his immense talent. In the meantime, Rahman has released his non- film album, Connections , and has given music for the West End theatrical production of The Lord of the Rings , produced by Kevin Wallace. Theres also the buzz about a new reality show called Big Band , organised by the alternative folk rock label, Phat Phish Records, that was to take off some time in December on Doordarshan. The reality show will have Rahman pick original Whys Rahman song- writing and folk rock talent from around the country, and those who win will get a record deal. But the show has been stalled. Getting back to his pet peeve, Rahman says, " Its ironic, really. I have always considered myself to be alternative in my own context and style of making music and dealing with projects. Maybe people do not notice it, but my songs are different because they really cant be popular. It is only because of big names that my work becomes mainstream. I wonder what I am doing wrong," says the man whose faith seems to be noticeably shaken. Listing his friends in the industry, from mentor Mani Ratnam and actor/ director/ producer Aamir Khan, Rahman says he would only entrust them with his name in the music composer credits. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is his other favourite in the industry. Rahman suddenly becomes silent and one realises he has run out of names. Its not that the man is not getting offers. Hes travelling extensively, hes turning down more movies that are coming in, he doesnt have spare dates, yet he believes his creativity is dying and becoming a victim of repetition. But he considers Deepa Mehtas trilogy Earth , Fire and Water the biggest visual accompaniments to his score. " I enjoyed giving the background score to the narratives. I felt like the conductor of a symphony," says the master. BONDING WITH AAMIR And the only man he vibes with, besides Mani Ratnam, the only other person Rahman is willing to trust is Aamir Khan. " After Lagaan , I shared a good bond with Aamir and Ashutosh [ Gowarikar]. They gave me my creative space and still had the ability to challenge my melody. We would sit and deliberate on a tune, an antara , a line, a symphonic solo for hours. This is what I yearn for. And you see, in Lagaan , Rang De Basanti , Swades and now even Jodhaa Akbar the songs fit completely with the sequence. With people who are that clued in about their work, I know I cant possibly go wrong or feel dejected later," Rahman confesses. Angry, hurt, wary and partly frustrated Rahman is appalled at how the comingof- age music industry chooses to make a mockery of the sangeet and kala of Rahman and his peers. " Its true. I dont like what is happening to the music of our entertainment industry. I have always angry man believed that you may stray, but at the end of the day you come home. Somehow with Bollywood I dont see that happening anymore. Our sangeet is dying," he says. Rahman is singing the grand autumn dirge the dying song of Bollywood music. One wonders what could have miffed Indias most sought- after musician. The shy ambassador who made Indian music the tune for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Supple is resentful and wary. In 2007, the year the industry discovered reality television marketing, Rahman was kept out of all singing and dancing shows. The man who discovered a talent on one of such shows ( Naresh Iyer from Channel Vs Popstars), man Popstars), Rahman wasnt invited for any. " I am not a big reality show believer. After being a guest on a few, I have realised how real they really are. You cant make stars. They are born," he says. That explains why hed lent his support to the Big Band. THE STORYTELLER This year, Rahman had Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na , Subhash Ghais Salman and Katrina- starrer Yuvvraaj and the upcoming Aamir opus, Ghajini . Next year, there will be Rakeysh Omprakash Mehras Delhi 6 . Theres also Imtiaz Alis Rockstar, Mani Ratnams remake of Lajjo with Aamir and Kareena Kapoor, and Rajkumar Santoshis London Dreams all big- budget productions. Besides, hes also working on a couple of international theatre and fusion music productions. " I consider myself more of a storyteller than a musician. I like narrating tales using music. Theatre allows you to do that. Even movies are more an extension of the same," Rahman says and slips into a melody. At the end of a rugged day, Rahman still detests what the new breed of musicians have done to Indian film music and doesnt believe there is a place for rock or RnB in Bollywood. " Its like saying chalk and cheese or Osho and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar are the same. I disagree with composers who try to fuse sounds. It doesnt sound right," says the Sufi melody maker. For some time, we might just renew our faith in pure music. And Rahman will be around to make sure it happens. As he puts it, " Music has something in it thats inexplicable." sharin. bhatti @ mailtoday. in --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "balajirajagopal" <balajirajago...@...> wrote: > > There was an interview with ARR in today's Mail Today magazine (Delhi > edition). Hadnt even heard of this paper before!!! It was a full two > page interview by someone named Sharin Bhatti. As always, some of > inclusions in the interview/writing was factually incorrect like saying > ARR next year is doing RKS's London Dreams & MR's remake of Lajjo with > Aamir and Kareena. And suprisingly no mention of Blue (which according > to me will be the JTYJN ie a darkhorse of 2009). I am too lazy to sit > and write the whole interview, however some of the few vignettes of the > interview were (All the below is according to ARR) > > 1) Worst song - Que Sera Sera ie he thought he could have done more > justice to the song and that it became a hit due to Madhuri Dixit and > Prabhu Deva > > 2) Favourite song - Khwaja Mere Khwaja > > 3) Favourite instrument - Guitar > > 4) Favourite singer - Hariharan > > 5) Like to be reborn as - ARR. Also, he very clealry said he chose to > convert to Islam out of choice and not because he was ashamed to being > a Hindu > > There was a para on how he bonded well with Aamir who apart from Mani > Rathnam (suprisingly no mention of Shankar here but I dare say to a > North Indian, Shankar is just another South Indian director!), the only > other person ARR is willing to trust is Aamir Khan. He also talked > about how he enjoys bonding with Rakesysh Mehra and Aashutosh > Gowariker. And very surprisingly, he considers Deepa Mehta's trilogy of > Earth, Fire and Water as the biggest visual accompaniments to his > score. The interview also has a bit of dope on the season's current > flavour ie SdM. There are a couple of nice pics - one with Nelson > Mandela and the other with his wife. > > There was a short para by Mani Rathnam and Shekhar Kapur on ARR. A very > interesting remark made by Mani Rathnam in this column was that ARR > always keeps his prayer beads near the keys of his piano whenever he is > composing. > > If someone can scan the interview and put it up, it will be great! But > on the whole, it was one of those usual interviews without anything > pathbreaking... > > Cheers! > Balaji >
