The interview which appears below, was originally published on Bolly Spice in October 2014. ©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.
We have an exclusive from the Zurich Film Festival which took place last week. Ashanti Omkar, who has her own show on the BBC Asian Network, from 2-4pm every Sunday, beginning this Diwali, on 26th October 2014, and also is the Indian cinema expert for BBC London and BBC West Midlands, and speaks as a film expert on Monocle 24 radio was there to cover the prestigious festival.
Along with the many premieres and special screenings of some of the best films from the world over, acclaimed and award winning composer Hans Zimmer was given a lifetime achievement award at this festival in Switzerland. Ashanti shared with us some highlights of what the world famous composer had to say about another world famous maestro A.R. Rahman.
Zurich film festival roundtable with international media, from Europe
“I have friends in India. A.R. Rahman (and he pronounces the name perfectly). I had this idea a few years ago, to reinvent the music of the Oscars. It was one of the worst ideas I ever had (laughs). But I go all my friends, like I got AR to come and play in the orchestra and I got everybody to get involved. I love him. I don’t think that I even need to say that he is talented, I think we all know that he is.
Zurich film festival, 10th anniversary Green carpet one to one with Ashanti Omkar from UK – Hans Zimmer was given a lifetime achievement award at this festival in Switzerland
He’s my strongest connection to India. That’s the great thing, because we musicians, even where I’ve worked in countries where I didn’t speak or understand the language, where you have a translator, then you just sit down and start playing. 4 hours later, you’re still playing and you’re having the greatest conversation. So we musicians have a bonding thing.”
“I’d love to do a collaboration with A.R. Rahman. We’ve actually sort of talked about it. When he first came to Los Angeles, he has his studio in my studio, which was like a safe haven for him I think. And yes, he owe me that I come to India and I park my studio in his for a while (chuckles), and we do a bit of music together. To me, he’s a wonderful man, an extraordinary talent. He is everything you hope a composer would be.”
