Didnt I just love the introduction 'In India, A.R. Rahman's film music is often anticipated more eagerly than the movies it is made for.'
Absolutely, true! Thanks for the interview =) --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "userind" <user...@...> wrote: > > Source - > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/20/PKAM15SOP0.DTL > > In India, A.R. Rahman's film music is often anticipated more eagerly > than the movies it is made for. Rahman took the Indian film industry > by storm in the early '90s, alchemizing Sufi qawwalis, Indian music > and symphonic orchestral themes. He's won more National Film Awards > for best music director than anyone else. But he's remained relatively > unknown abroad, despite productions such as the Andrew Lloyd Webber > musical "Bombay Dreams." "Slumdog Millionaire" changed all that. If he > takes home an Oscar tonight (he has three nominations), he'll be the > first Indian to win one since Bhanu Athaiya won for costume design for > "Gandhi" (1982). Rahman spoke by phone from Los Angeles. > > Q: Were you worried when you heard an English director who had never > been to India was making a film set in Mumbai slums? > > A: Danny (Boyle) sent me a script, but I had no time to read it. > (Director) Shekhar Kapur told me, "Danny is my friend. Don't make him > wait." A couple of months later, Danny gave me a DVD, and I loved it. > I did it in about three weeks. I loved the optimism and the hope it > gives. It's universal. > > Q: Does it apply to your life? > > A: Certainly. It's not that dramatic a struggle. But coming from a > middle-class family, a lot of things were out of reach. Now I am > sitting here in Hollywood talking to you. > > Q: What did Boyle want in terms of the music? > > A: He said no sentiment. And no cello. He didn't want anything > depressing. Some scenes are unbearable, and then the music comes in. > It's like being pushed from a cliff and then having wings to fly. > > Q: What's the biggest difference in the role music plays in Western > films and Bollywood films? > > A: Danny gave me specific cue points: 17, 18. In a film in India, > there can be 130 cues. "Slumdog" was like going back to (my first > film), "Roja." When all the awards came to "Roja," it was a shock. > This is my first big English film where I have sole credit. It's new > territory for me. > > Q: When did you first get paid for your music? > > A: I think it was for operating a record player in a studio. I got > paid what is about a dollar now. But then I made money doing ad > jingles. I think the first one was for a photo lab. The ad jingles led > to films. > > Q: How many films are you scoring in a year? > > A: I sometimes do eight films in a year. Sometimes it's only two. > Sometimes you do a film, and it never takes off. I don't know what the > average in Bollywood is these days. A few years ago, people could do > 30 films a year. > > Q: Which of your collaborations with Western artists has been the most > interesting? > > A: I think "The Lord of the Rings" (theater) was both interesting and > exhausting. I worked with a Finnish band. Then there was "Elizabeth: > The Golden Age" with Craig Armstrong. That was a new genre of music. > I'd never done it before. Now I am working on a Japanese > collaboration. There could be some changes coming. I will know in the > next two months. > > This article appeared on page R - 19 of the San Francisco Chronicle >
