Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!! - Part 2
Hi Gajanan,Thanks for your comments. I have been extremely lucky to be part of such an experience. I ll surely share both the autograph and the pics with the group, within the next few days. Regards,ChiranjeeviGajanan Balasubramaniam [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:Hi ChiranjeeviLast time I just responded with "Lucky you!". Now I am saying ... "Lucky You!" ^ (infinity!) ... You got to spend such casual time with our idol... Infact spending casual moments and doing various things with one's idol is something that 99.99% fans of any idol dont manage. You having managed to get that space and time... I guess everybody in this group is super J with you right now!If possible, can you scan the autographed cover of VM album and show it to us? Also, if possible.. share some pics.- G Yahoo! Photos Ring in the New Year with Photo Calendars. Add photos, events, holidays, whatever. Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] SPONSORED LINKS Music artists Country music artists New music artists New country music artists Christian music artists Unsigned music artist YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "arrahmanfans" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!! - Part 2
Hi Chiranjeevi Last time I just responded with Lucky you!. Now I am saying ... Lucky You! ^ (infinity!) ... You got to spend such casual time with our idol... Infact spending casual moments and doing various things with one's idol is something that 99.99% fans of any idol dont manage. You having managed to get that space and time... I guess everybody in this group is super J with you right now! If possible, can you scan the autographed cover of VM album and show it to us? Also, if possible.. share some pics. - G Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "arrahmanfans" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
[arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday, A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in the future which would make millions happy... Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!! I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol, A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experience continued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late. But what better than the birthday of the great man himself. It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meeting with many unforgettable moments) A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend a concert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, the brain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at the University generally doing some work related to the event when my prof asked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him up from the Cincinnati Airport! Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come to understand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman n not just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that he would nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! The situation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what my friends were speaking on the way to the Airport! Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a close range until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines' Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said Hello. I was shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! I was so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if I reciprocated to his greeting! I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get the van. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me a question, So, are you a music student?. I replied saying that I was here to do my MS. He asked, Where r u from? I said that I was from Andhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I started speaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was a Bass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years. Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was a key-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, he immediately recognised n said Oh, are you his son? What is your dad doing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters? etc... After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I was like Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed us all into studies. By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there was some general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing a guitar, Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. You never know!. I was both surprised and humbled with the kind of statement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian Music Industry worrying about the musical interests of a literal nobody, with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say this portrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of his down-to-earth nature? You guys decide... I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makes it, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tired after a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to not disturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. We then had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly kept asking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He was worried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribed time... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sir enjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyed looking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers from neighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just another individual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him what mobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson. That whole hour of travel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life. After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. I was visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms with the situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heard stories about him being extremely humble. But, believe me... the way he carried out himself was simply amazing, standing testimonial to that fact. It is a lesson which everyone of us should impart. I was 8 years old when I first listened to A.R.Rahman's music... it was the song Kadhal Rojave, from the movie Roja, being screened on TV. I was so deeply moved, for an 8 year old, by the kind of sound that filled the room. In the background, I heard my dad's voice telling my mom, That is Dileep's first movie. Right from then, till now, I have been anxiously expecting and listening to every album of Rahman sir, be it
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
Lucky you!On 1/6/06, rahmanrulez [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday, A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in the future which would make millions happy... Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!! I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol, A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experience continued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late. But what better than the birthday of the great man himself. It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meeting with many unforgettable moments) A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend a concert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, the brain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at the University generally doing some work related to the event when my prof asked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him up from the Cincinnati Airport! Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come to understand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman n not just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that he would nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! The situation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what my friends were speaking on the way to the Airport! Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a close range until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines' Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said Hello. I was shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! I was so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if I reciprocated to his greeting! I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get the van. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me a question, So, are you a music student?. I replied saying that I was here to do my MS. He asked, Where r u from? I said that I was from Andhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I started speaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was a Bass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years. Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was a key-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, he immediately recognised n said Oh, are you his son? What is your dad doing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters? etc... After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I was like Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed us all into studies. By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there was some general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing a guitar, Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. You never know!. I was both surprised and humbled with the kind of statement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian Music Industry worrying about the musical interests of a literal nobody, with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say this portrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of his down-to-earth nature? You guys decide... I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makes it, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tired after a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to not disturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. We then had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly kept asking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He was worried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribed time... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sir enjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyed looking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers from neighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just another individual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him what mobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson. That whole hour of travel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life. After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. I was visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms with the situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heard stories about him being extremely humble. But, believe me... the way he carried out himself was simply amazing, standing testimonial to that fact. It is a lesson which everyone of us should impart. I was 8 years old when I first listened to A.R.Rahman's music... it was the song Kadhal Rojave, from the movie Roja, being screened on TV. I was so deeply moved, for an 8 year old, by the kind of sound that filled the room. In the background, I heard my dad's voice telling my mom, That is Dileep's first movie. Right from then, till now, I have been anxiously
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
Hey Chiranjeevi.. It was so amazing man.!!! U r extremely lucky to spend this much time with the legend!! Congrats frist of all!!! And I really enjoyed reading ur experience and expected much more out of ur conversation with him. So, DO POST EACH EVERYTHG THAT HAPPEND DURING THOSE 2 DAYS.. Luv, Mahesh. On 1/6/06, rahmanrulez [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday, A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in the future which would make millions happy... Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!! I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol, A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experience continued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late. But what better than the birthday of the great man himself. It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meeting with many unforgettable moments) A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend a concert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, the brain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at the University generally doing some work related to the event when my prof asked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him up from the Cincinnati Airport! Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come to understand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman n not just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that he would nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! The situation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what my friends were speaking on the way to the Airport! Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a close range until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines' Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said Hello. I was shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! I was so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if I reciprocated to his greeting! I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get the van. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me a question, So, are you a music student?. I replied saying that I was here to do my MS. He asked, Where r u from? I said that I was from Andhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I started speaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was a Bass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years. Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was a key-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, he immediately recognised n said Oh, are you his son? What is your dad doing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters? etc... After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I was like Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed us all into studies. By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there was some general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing a guitar, Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. You never know!. I was both surprised and humbled with the kind of statement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian Music Industry worrying about the musical interests of a literal nobody, with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say this portrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of his down-to-earth nature? You guys decide... I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makes it, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tired after a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to not disturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. We then had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly kept asking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He was worried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribed time... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sir enjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyed looking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers from neighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just another individual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him what mobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson. That whole hour of travel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life. After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. I was visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms with the situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heard stories about him being
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
Hey buddy, u r the luckiest person 2 b able meet THE BOSS. Plz, Plz write down evri moment nd incident dat happened. truly it was great.bye 'n' njoy.rahmanrulez [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: "First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday,A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in thefuture which would make millions happy..."Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!!I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol,A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experiencecontinued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late.But what better than the birthday of the great man himself.It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meetingwith many unforgettable moments)A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend aconcert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, thebrain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at theUniversity generally doing some work related to the event when my profasked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him upfrom the Cincinnati Airport!Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come tounderstand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman nnot just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that hewould nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! Thesituation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what myfriends were speaking on the way to the Airport!Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a closerange until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines'Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said "Hello". Iwas shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! Iwas so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if Ireciprocated to his greeting!I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get thevan. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me aquestion, "So, are you a music student?". I replied saying that I washere to do my MS. He asked, "Where r u from?" I said that I was fromAndhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I startedspeaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was aBass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years.Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was akey-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, heimmediately recognised n said "Oh, are you his son? What is your daddoing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters?" etc...After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I waslike "Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed usall into studies." By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there wassome general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing aguitar, "Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. Younever know!". I was both surprised and humbled with the kind ofstatement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian MusicIndustry worrying about the musical interests of a literal "nobody",with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say thisportrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of hisdown-to-earth nature? You guys decide...I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makesit, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tiredafter a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to notdisturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. Wethen had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly keptasking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He wasworried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribedtime... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sirenjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyedlooking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers fromneighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just anotherindividual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him whatmobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson. That whole hour oftravel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life.After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. Iwas visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms withthe situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heardstories about him being extremely humble. But, believe me... the wayhe carried out himself was simply amazing, standing testimonial tothat fact. It is a lesson which everyone of us should impart. I was 8 years old when I first listened to A.R.Rahman's music... itwas the song Kadhal Rojave, from the movie Roja, being screened on TV.I was so deeply moved, for an 8 year old, by the kind of sound thatfilled the room. In the background, I heard my dad's voice telling mymom, "That is
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
Chiranjeevi Thanx for sharing those precious moments with us. Am eagerly waiting for more ... Raghu Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS Visit your group "arrahmanfans" on the web. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service.
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
great that u shared ur experience with us. enjoy the trance of the musical genius. if u took any photos, share it with us. cheers!On 1/6/06, rahmanrulez [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday,A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in thefuture which would make millions happy...Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!! I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol,A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experiencecontinued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late.But what better than the birthday of the great man himself. It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meetingwith many unforgettable moments)A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend aconcert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, the brain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at theUniversity generally doing some work related to the event when my profasked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him up from the Cincinnati Airport!Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come tounderstand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman nnot just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that he would nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! Thesituation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what myfriends were speaking on the way to the Airport!Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a close range until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines'Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said Hello. Iwas shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! I was so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if Ireciprocated to his greeting!I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get thevan. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me a question, So, are you a music student?. I replied saying that I washere to do my MS. He asked, Where r u from? I said that I was fromAndhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I started speaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was aBass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years.Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was akey-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, he immediately recognised n said Oh, are you his son? What is your daddoing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters? etc...After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I was like Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed usall into studies.By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there wassome general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing a guitar, Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. Younever know!. I was both surprised and humbled with the kind ofstatement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian Music Industry worrying about the musical interests of a literal nobody,with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say thisportrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of his down-to-earth nature? You guys decide...I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makesit, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tiredafter a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to not disturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. Wethen had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly keptasking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He wasworried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribed time... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sirenjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyedlooking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers fromneighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just another individual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him whatmobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson.That whole hour oftravel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life.After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. I was visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms withthe situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heardstories about him being extremely humble. But, believe me... the wayhe carried out himself was simply amazing, standing testimonial to that fact. It is a lesson which everyone of us should impart.I was 8 years old when I first listened to A.R.Rahman's music... itwas the song Kadhal Rojave, from the movie Roja, being screened on TV.I was so deeply moved, for an 8 year old, by the kind of sound that filled the room. In the background, I heard my dad's voice telling mymom, That is Dileep's first movie.
Re: [arr] Happy Birthday to A.R.Rahman sir..... I MET HIM!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!! Congratulations! Hope you took loads of pictures for yourself. rahmanrulez [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: "First of all... here's wishing A.R.Rahman sir a Very Happy Birthday,A Very Happy New Year and many more Musically productive years in thefuture which would make millions happy..."Also, a very Happy New Year to all of u reading this mail!!I just cant imagine how lucky I am to have actually met my Idol,A.R.Rahman. It happened on 22nd October, 2005 and the experiencecontinued until 23rd October, 2005. I m sorry to post it this late.But what better than the birthday of the great man himself.It all started like this... (Pls Read patiently, it was a long meetingwith many unforgettable moments)A.R.Rahman sir was coming to Miami University, Ohio, US to attend aconcert. The concert was by an orchestra called Global Rhythms, thebrain child of Prof. Srinivas Krishnan (My Mentor). I was there at theUniversity generally doing some work related to the event when my profasked me to go along with the guys who were supposed to pick him upfrom the Cincinnati Airport!Obviously, I was in shock n it took me quite a while to come tounderstand what was in store... I was going to meet my A.R.Rahman nnot just that. We had to engage him in some conversation so that hewould nt feel too bored during the hour long journey back! Thesituation just didnt sink in and I was nt even able listen to what myfriends were speaking on the way to the Airport!Well, I could nt picturise the prospect of meeting him in such a closerange until he actually emerged from the crowds in the Delta Airlines'Arrival Terminal. He offered a friendly hand shake n said "Hello". Iwas shaken... Here was my Idol... A.R.Rahman. Could this be true?! Iwas so shaken that my mind went numb. I dont even know if Ireciprocated to his greeting!I was helping him get his luggage while the others went to get thevan. I was too scared to speak anything. That was when he asked me aquestion, "So, are you a music student?". I replied saying that I washere to do my MS. He asked, "Where r u from?" I said that I was fromAndhra but have stayed all my life in Chennai. This is when I startedspeaking on my own. My dad is himself from the Film Industry. He was aBass guitarist to be precise and had worked for more than 25 years.Apparently, he had also worked with A.R.Rahman while he was akey-board player. When I asked Rahman sir if he remembered my dad, heimmediately recognised n said "Oh, are you his son? What is your daddoing now? Where is he? Do u have any brothers or sisters?" etc...After listening to my replies, he asked me if I was into Music. I waslike "Not really, Have learnt a bit if guitar. Thats it. Dad pushed usall into studies." By this time, my friends brought the van. We got into it and there wassome general talk going when he suddenly said to me gesturing aguitar, "Take the guitar and learn it. It will be in your blood. Younever know!". I was both surprised and humbled with the kind ofstatement he made. Here was the most recognised face of Indian MusicIndustry worrying about the musical interests of a literal "nobody",with the kind of enthusiasm seen in a school kid. Should I say thisportrayed his commitment to Music or was it just part of hisdown-to-earth nature? You guys decide...I had so many questions to ask regarding his Music, the way he makesit, etc. But I refrained from these because he looked pretty tiredafter a long flight from Chennai. We were also told by our prof to notdisturb him with too many questions, taking pictures or autographs. Wethen had conversations related to various topics. He repeatedly keptasking us when the sun-set was in this part of the world. He wasworried about carrying out his daily practices before the prescribedtime... an extremely religious man that he is. I guess Rahman sirenjoyed the prospect of not being treated as a celebrity. He enjoyedlooking at the country-side, not being bothered by on-lookers fromneighbouring vehicles. For a moment, it was like he was just anotherindividual, sitting next to me in the van!! I even asked him whatmobile phone he carried... It was a Sony-Ericsson. That whole hour oftravel was unbelievable and undoubtedly the best time of my life.After dropping him at the Guest-House, we went back to our places. Iwas visibly on cloud nine, still not being able to come to terms withthe situation. Was it A.R.Rahman whom I just met?! I have heardstories about him being extremely humble. But, believe me... the wayhe carried out himself was simply amazing, standing testimonial tothat fact. It is a lesson which everyone of us should impart. I was 8 years old when I first listened to A.R.Rahman's music... itwas the song Kadhal Rojave, from the movie Roja, being screened on TV.I was so deeply moved, for an 8 year old, by the kind of sound thatfilled the room. In the background, I heard my dad's voice telling mymom, "That is Dileep's first movie." Right from then, till now, I havebeen anxiously expecting and
