The interview which appears below, was originally published on DNA India in August 2007. ©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.
His experiments with music are still on and most of them till date have struck a chord with the masses. A. R. Rahman smiles warmly when credited for his music going down so well with his fans.
“Has it really? I’m doing a lot of orchestral work like I had done in the film Elizabeth’ and Sivaji’. I think the industry is growing broader in terms of the mindsets of people,” he says adding, that work is very demanding these day for him.
Rahman was inaugurating a friend Aditya Modi’s studio when we caught up with him. The musician doesn’t find it obliging to do things for friends. “They are not obligations at all. In fact, it’s a studio where I’m also going to be working and I’m sure it will become my second home,” he explains.
He is seeing lots of trends in the industry. “A few years ago, English rap would have been totally dismissed. Today, there are people like Blaaze who are doing it and it’s blending very well and I think it’s great,” he smiles, adding that he has always tried to bring forth the essence of classical music in his music. “I try out ragas like Reethigoulai or Sahana, which are not frequently used. Though I’m more inclined towards using Hindustani classical, Carnatic is inherent in me… maybe because I’m from the South,” he explains.
While every other musician is dying to work with A. R. Rahman, ask the music wiz who is the one person he wants to work with? “I would love to work with Stevie Wonder,” he smiles.
There is more to the musician than just music and cooking is one of the things that help him unwind. “I’m learning to cook, though I don’t think my mother would appreciate that,” he signs off.
