No award can judge pure music: A R Rahman A R Rahman is the first Indian to have won an award at the Golden Globes. His outstanding music in *Slumdog Millionaire* won him the Best Original Score award as well as accolades from a very proud India. CNN-IBN's Veeraraghav spoke to the man of the moment.
*Veeraraghav:* *Hello and welcome. I am going to ask you a question you might have answered over and over again. Have you started believing that we will get an Oscar?* *A R Rahman:* Yes, I think we will. At least one award for the whole film. *Veeraraghav:* *If the same Jai Ho song was there for an Indian film with the same picturisation and effect, it might have not made it that big. Do you think so?* *A R Rahman:* Well, the Golden Globe award is for the whole music score because I think there are a lot of good films out there that are grand so people need change and *Slumdog...* did the trick. Whether it is the music or the film making or the whole feel of the film. I think they (the people) wanted the change at this time especially when America is under recession and they see this character. I think that clicked very well. It is about optimism and that is why it clicked. *Veeraraghav:* *Have you also become more optimistic? When you went to the Golden Globe ceremony were you optimistic of the award and did people notice you in the beginning or only after getting the award?* *A R Rahman:* We got three awards for music. The press was there all the time. During the first award nobody even wanted me, after the second award people said come and join us and when we got the third award they said can we have a single of you. It was a nice progression. *Veeraraghav:* *That may be progression for the people but for A R Rahman, how much does it change things since you are now the first Indian to have won the Golden Globe award?* *A R Rahman:* I used to do music then in the south and then when I moved to doing music in Hindi movies the whole equation became in multiples in terms of the exposure. And now it is again multiples because there is more exposure. So I have to take even more care for my product. I have to - may be work less and get noticed more. This is like the same case for *Slumdog...* I probably spent 25 days making the music. *Veeraraghav:* *When you walk into an awards function, it has always been Rajnikanth and Amitabh Bachchan with whom you have shared the space. But how does it feel to share the red carpet with Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise - those kind of people?* *A R Rahman:* It is special. But after you sit along with them you feel that they are also common human beings working for their passion. *Veeraraghav:* *Talking about the movie that has given you the Golden Globe, Slumdog Millionaire - how did it actually happen?* *A R Rahman:* It is a co-incidence I would say. Danny Boyle had come here and he was meeting all the stars working on the movie. And it was Anil Kapoor's son and daughter who said, get A R for the music and Danny had also heard my music. So all these things put together he sent me an email and said if I would be interested. And I asked for some time and he sent me the movie script, I couldn't read that and then he sent me a DVD which had the first part of the film. When I saw the DVD, I was amazed to see the movie being so different and innovative. The scope for music was also great something that I had never done before. So it was more of credibility. *Veeraraghav:* *So you had an idea about what you were getting into?* *A R Rahman:* Yes. It is always that, when you work with an extraordinary director your work also becomes extraordinary. I liked the movie, the way it comes from darkness and hopelessness to optimism that anybody can come out of any problem. *Veeraraghav:* *But that is also a part of the criticism. Some say the movie displays poverty of India and shows the country in bad taste.* *A R Rahman:* No. I look at it in another way, only when you see it you will do something about it. We have always been hiding the fact that we are poor and people still live in slums and we need to solve it. We cannot brush it aside. We can only solve the problem only after we are aware of it when the whole world comes together. *Veeraraghav:* *Let's now come to the song that is probably the most famous these days, Jai Ho. We hear that you had earlier made a version of it and saw it did not fit well and then re-did it again?* *A R Rahman:* *Jai ho*, I had kept it as a secret. Nobody knew what I was doing, even my staff didn't. I then sent it to Danny and he said I have never heard a song like this. It has got so many elements in it and he wanted to use it. *Veeraraghav:* *You also worked with Maya Arulprakasam. How was that experience?* *A R Rahman:* She is very good. In the whole sound track her song is like an engine and later it gets recognition. And another thing is how I recorded Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun's song. Ila has a loud voice and doing this was challenging and fun. *Veeraraghav:* *How is Danny Boyle? Did he let you do your late nights on your own or did he sit with you all throughout?* *A R Rahman:* I met him once in Mumbai and he came down once to Chennai, but the main part of the music was done in UK. I took my family there and I used to work from there. He used to visit me every evening after the editing. He used to listen to the stuff and go back. So for two weeks it was like this and that is how it worked. *Veeraraghav:* *And now do you have a great equation with him. I mean you have worked with several great Indian directors like Shyam Benegal and Mani Ratnam, what is different about this man from Hollywood?* *A R Rahman:* I think we all cater to different audience, different people and Danny was catering to the western audience. It is not about who is superior. All the people are very creative here as well. We cater to our audience and he is catering to his audience. *Veeraraghav:* *Culturally is there something different about Hollywood, and the way it works - what is it?* *A R Rahman:* I guess we are more friendly here. There they are more restricted even the fans there, they just come and shake hands and that is it. *Veeraraghav:* *As an individual, I remember when I met you around 9 to 10 years ago, I always got monosyllable answers, but now you have become more talkative haven't you?* *A R Rahman:* Not talkative I have just got more information that I didn't have then. Now that I am the ambassador for Stop TV partnership, fight poverty etc so actually I have to talk and I can't keep saying 'yes' or 'no' there. *Veeraraghav:* *Is it forced upon you or is it an transition that has happened over a period?* *A R Rahman:* Well, sometimes I still want to be alone, in that way you absorb more and study more. The more you talk, the more you feel naked. The internal pressure of holding on to something that you know is always better. *Veeraraghav:* *Has that affected your music as well? From the innocence of Roja to a Slumdog... you have changed as a person.* *A R Rahman:* Yes in a way, even when you are conceiving a song, those days it was all about love and patriotism. These were the only two emotions that were relevant. These days there are so many complex emotions like there is a song we have conceived for *Delhi 6* which is about telling someone be the way you are, whether you have thorns or roses I love you for that. That kind of thought comes only when you are mature enough to say that. *Veeraraghav:* *You were not born with a silver spoon, you had to struggle to make it to where you are today. Does your personal life affect your music?* *A R Rahman:* Yes, I guess subconsciously. I personally think that any person, someone like me who have come from nothing to something we need to constantly touch base with our people. Our people means poor. If you have the kindness and patience to sit and talk to a poor person then you can say that you are still grounded. This I can say is my ultimate reality, the moment I always keep testing myself. *Veeraraghav:* *When you make your music, is there some moment in your life that reminds you and inspires you?* *A R Rahman:* Well I believe that music is a blessing. When it is not there nothing can happen no matter how much you try to create and when it is there even a single expression can create magic. So I am not in control. *Veeraraghav:* *Well Hollywood, Bollywood and Kollywood which is closest to your heart?* *A R Rahman:* Any industry that appreciates the talent. *Veeraraghav:* *As a judge of your work, do you believe that there was any other score that you have done in the past few years that deserved a Golden Globe compared to the one in Slumdog...?* *A R Rahman:* No award can judge pure music. Sometimes it is the right music in the wrong film sometimes it is just released and not even noticed so it is all the question of timing and blessing of God. *Veeraraghav:* *Thank you sir, and we hope the next time we meet you that will be after your Oscars.* *A R Rahman:* Thank you! http://ibnlive.in.com/news/no-award-can-judge-pure-music-a-r-rahman/83043-8-p2.html -- regards, Vithur
