The interview which appears below, was originally published on Khaleej Times in April 2008. ©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.
A goat steps over a pothole in the rutted road. A cow grumpily ambles to the kerb as a driver sounds his horn. Welcome to the neighbourhood of the best-selling pop megastar on the planet. He might not be widely known in Britain-yet-but A.R.Rahman has sold 200 million albums, that’s 30 million more than madonna (150m) and Britney (20m) put together.
The initials stand for Allah Rakka and he is India’s No 1 singer/music producer. Now he is set to become a household name over here, working with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new £4.5 million West End musical called Bombay Dreams.
The love story is scheduled to open on June 19 and tickets are selling fast. To find the man behind the phenomenon, I visited Rahman’s house in Chennai, formerly called Madras. He may be a millionaire, but he lives on a small side street off the main road. Besides the goats and cows, the odd elephant pads past, raising puffs of dust.
Rahman’s house is made up of detached houses and there are a few concessions to the problem of celebrity. A huge metal gate outside his three-storey, 10-roomed house is guarded by two security men who vet all prospective visitors. I am expected, thank goodness, so I get ushered in past two parked Jeeps and an Ambassador limousine. Guests are asked to remove their shoes and be allowed to walk barefoot or wear the sandals provided.
I’m grateful for the cool of the marble on the soles of my feet. Rahman appears. He has been busy in his recording studio. “That’s my only weakness,” he smiles. “I think gadgets are great. I’ve got the latest mobile phone and all my equipment is state-of-the-art. I love having all the technology because it helps project the music.”
He is 35 and first shot to fame in 1992 when at 24 he won the National Award for Best Music Direction for the Bollywood movie Roja. Since then he has worked on more than 50 film scores. We met on a Friday, which I quickly discovered is the day that his servants always cook a delicious mutton biriyani and quietly give some to the poor. “I don’t like bringing too much attention to myself,” says Rahman.
“I used to go out with two bodyguards but that just attracted more attention. If I don’t go with anyone I can sometimes slip in and out of restaurants without people realising who I am.” But it’s a dangerous game. If he is recognised he is mobbed. I witnessed mayhem when Rahman arrived for a 20-minute autograph session at the Landmark bookshop. He was signing CD’s for his Oscar-nominated film Lagaan. So far he’s sold 10 million. Fans rushed forward to the stage and extra police had to be drafted in to protect him from the crush.
“That was really scary,” he told me afterwards. “You never know what’s going to happen at these things. I’m always worried that someone is going to get hurt. All you can hear is people screaming your name and hands everywhere. London should be a little quieter…for now. But the magic is spreading. Bombay Dreams, at the Apollo Victoria theatre, also uses the production skills of Marius de Vries and Andy Bradfield, who recently worked on the huge-selling Moulin Rouge soundtrack. The stage spectacular, with its rich, exotic music, includes Rahman’s single Shakalaka Baby.
Its release is scheduled to coincide with the show’s opening and should be a favourite in clubs. “I’m looking forward to coming to London,” he smiles. “It’s going to be a great challenge, something I never thought I’d do.” It’s a brilliant move by Lord Lloyd-Webber to create something for the Asian market because it’s so big and has been largely untouched.
“Maybe Hollywood could be next, I never rule out anything. But for now, Bombay Dreams comes first.”
