[Ch .19] Behind the Scenes of Rahman’s Oscar-Winning “Slumdog Millionaire”

The interview which appears below, was originally published on Vikatan in January 2008. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. English translation credits go to Aravind A.M. from the A.R. Rahman Yahoo Fans Group. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.

“After the successful launch of Bombay Dreams in London, Rahman exclaimed, “All of these things are strange to me. The way these things happen is in unexpected ways.” Life’s greatest moments often come from rare encounters.

Another director, Matthew Warchus, had closely watched the success of Bombay Dreams and then got the opportunity to direct a grand musical based on JRR Tolkien’s epic novel, The Lord of the Rings. The story, which is set during an epic period and features mystical events that occur under mysterious circumstances, had previously been staged as a play in various forms and made into a film.

However, Warchus was determined to present it in a different format, as a musical, and he asked Rahman to compose the music for it. The musical version of The Lord of the Rings was a massive success when it was staged in Canada in 2006, with a budget of 27 million dollars (although it made more than that in the first few days of its run). Rahman wrote 15 songs for the musical, using a range of different tones and instruments.

Rahman’s experience composing music for films and musicals around the world continued to shape his thinking, and it was then that he met director Danny Boyle. Boyle wanted Rahman to compose the score for his adaptation of the novel Q & A, which he titled Slumdog Millionaire. In English films, background music is usually kept subtle, or “hidden,” so as not to distract from the action on screen.

However, Boyle felt that this approach would not work for Slumdog Millionaire, which portrays the passionate but marginal lives of its characters. He told Rahman, “I want a pulsating, ‘pulsy’ score that will compete with the film. The music in this film should be obvious and cool, but also warm.” Boyle then shared the screenplay for Slumdog Millionaire with Rahman.

“The story of Slumdog Millionaire can happen not only in Mumbai, but in any part of the world,” Rahman said. “I was fascinated by the positive energy that this story evokes at a time when there are so many bad events happening in the world, including an economic recession. It was that ‘hope’ that made me interested in composing the music for it. I thought that we could mix modern and old Indian music and create something special.”

However, Rahman encountered a challenge when he listened to the music he had composed. “It didn’t feel like Indian music and it shouldn’t,” he said. “That’s a big challenge.”

The music for Slumdog Millionaire was produced very secretly. Rahman didn’t even tell his friends that he was composing the music for the film, and even the musicians who worked on the score didn’t know that they were working on Slumdog. Rahman knew only that the film was going to be on a massive scale.

From time to time, Boyle would visit the studio and listen to the musical forms, making comments and suggestions. He suggested using British pop singer M.I.A. (Maya Matangi Arulprakasha), who is Tamil and from Eelam, in the film. Rahman also used M.I.A.’s hit song “Paper Planes” in Slumdog.

In Indian films, music composers usually create “cues,” or specific points in the film where music is used. Grand films usually have an average of at least 130 cues (for example, when the villain appears, there may be a “aww” sound in the background as a cue). However, Rahman felt that there were only 17 cues in Slumdog. Everything else was music that ran alongside the film like “twin horses.”

After understanding what kind of music Boyle wanted for the film, Rahman composed the music for Slumdog Millionaire in just two weeks. Boyle was shocked by the speed at which Rahman worked and loved all of the songs.

However, when Rahman suggested replacing one of the songs with a new one that he and Gulzar were working on together, Boyle initially resisted. “Why? What’s this?” he said nervously. “I have a better tune than this. Gulzar and I are going to write that song together. Just wait,” Rahman replied. Boyle ended up dancing excitedly when he heard the new song, which was called “Jai Ho.” The song went on to win numerous awards, including the Golden Globe and the Oscar.

For many critics, the Golden Globe Award is considered to be superior to the Oscars because it is chosen by 90 of the world’s top journalists and is not as influenced by commercial considerations. Although the Golden Globes may not receive as much attention as the Oscars, Rahman humbly accepted the distinction of being the first Indian to win one.

Rahman used a variety of tricks in the music for Slumdog Millionaire. In “O Saya,” his voice swings back and forth between African and Arabic musical motifs. “Riots” evokes the cries of a city, while “Masoom” delves into Indian classical music using guitar, sarod, and sitar. “Ringa Ringa” captures the culture of Mumbai in the 90s, and “Liquid Dance” mixes Arabic music with Carnatic Jati music.

The song “Latika Theme” is a beautiful melody with an “m…m…m…” sound that spreads like a mystery. “Millionaire” has a modern techno sound, while “Gangster Blues” takes us to a mystical world with Blassy and Tanvee Singh’s vocals. “Dreams On Fire” is a rousing western melody. Rahman used all of these elements in the songs and the background music for the film.

“I’m amazed that Rahman, with his immeasurable talent and unimaginable fame, can be such a humble and reticent man,” marveled director Danny Boyle.