The interview which appears below, was originally published on Zee TV for the "Artist of the Fortnight" programme in May 2002. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.
According to Asha Bhosle, Rahman has a religious belief that requires him to light a candle in the room where singers record their tracks before any recording begins. He also has a strict rule that the recording must be completed before the candle burns out. This ritual is just one of the many quirks that Rahman brings to the studio, but it is one that Asha holds in high regard.
Asha was quoted saying “Rahman is a man of many rituals and one of them is to light a candle in the recording room before any recording starts, and he wants the recording to get completed before the candle burns out. This is one of his religious beliefs.”
Asha also praised Rahman for his hands-on approach during the recording of the song “Tanha Tanha” from the movie Rangeela. According to her, Rahman was the only person present in the studio during the recording and even did the recording himself. This, she said, helped simplify the process for the singer.
When it came to the recording of “Tanha Tanha,” Asha wanted to give more takes as she felt she had not sung well. However, Rahman convinced her that he had gotten what he was looking for. A month later, when the director of the movie, Ram Gopal Verma, played the song for her, she could not even remember that she had sung it. She was amazed by the complexity added by Rahman in the final product.
