The interview which appears below, was originally published on Sun TV in September 2008 and was transcripted by V.R. Vithur from A.R. Rahman Yahoo Group. ©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.
“When someone approached Swami Vivekananda and asked, ‘Who is the person who is always successful in life?’ he replied, ‘Whenever someone demeans you, be true to yourself. When someone praises you, don’t get swayed. That is the hallmark of a truly successful man.”
I always remember one man’s name when I recall these words from Vivekananda. A man with many awards, achievements, a rising number of success figures, and always surrounded by praise, yet still unchanged with the same smile, the same simple laugh, and sweet speech. The man whom I am referring to is not an alien born in some corner of the world. He is our own native, a person born on the soils of Tamil Nadu, a person who is bringing fame to every Tamilian across the globe, a wonderful brother and is none other than the Musical Storm, A.R. Rahman.
Come, let’s go and meet him.
Q: There are so many film directors waiting for you to make films, only if you compose music for them. In your success endeavors so far, Sakkarakatti has also been listed now. What do you feel about the success of this film’s music? How did you accept this project?
AR: I have earlier worked with Kalaipuli Dhanu on Kizhakku Cheemayile. He was the person who introduced the director Krishna of Jillunu Oru Kaadhal to me. At that time, he told me his son would be doing a film and asked if I could do the music for the film. I was busy at that time. He said he was ready to wait for any amount of time. Usually, people say like that, but after three months, they would come and ask for a tune saying that the heroine is leaving somewhere, etc.
But they waited for 1.5 years with patience. Whenever I used to get time, I used to give them a song. So, it’s not my success, but it’s their success that they waited patiently. It’s a success to the trust that they had in me. Prabhu is also a very patient guy, and he has religiously spent time making the song good, with all graphics.
Q: You were talking about working with Dhanu Sir. And this is your third film with him. What would you like to say about the human being Dhanu?
AR: Everyone has his own quality, and the quality in Dhanu Sir is that he uses his talent to the utmost extent. It’s only certain producers who spend so much energy in highlighting their films to such an extent.
Q: Normally, when people remember the word ‘Taxi,’ they think of a means of conveyance. But now, people are associating it with the song from Sakkarakatti. Has this been specially or purposefully laid for attracting the youngsters, or does it come naturally to you?
AR: Every three years, there is a change in the trend. The trend has been changing since the 90s. ’92 was different; ’95 was different and ’98 was different… Now the trend is towards reggae style, Spanish, etc… So, we thought of getting all those styles in the song. Actually, this was a last thought that we got. This song was composed at the fag end. Originally, the song was of a different tune, like a bhangra type. We had to modify the same, and in the last moment, magic happened. We wanted a song like an engine.
Q: You create so many new songs, new lyricists, and at the same time, you have also been associated with old veterans like Vaali sir in your songs. Have you ever felt, ‘How could he write like this in your songs?’
AR: Actually, it’s the understanding which is important. We shouldn’t distinguish between old and new lyricists. There exists good in old as well as new, and when we think like this, we can definitely cross all borders. He has such a wonderful quality in him. He was telling me with confidence while writing ‘Marudhaani’ saying that it would become a great hit, and was saying this till he finished the song.
Q: Did Chinmayi strain herself for singing the song ‘I Miss U Da’?
AR: Actually, if we don’t create any sort of a preconceived mindset while singing the song, it would come out fine. While starting to sing, we shouldn’t have the notion that we should be singing like P. Susheela, or S. Janaki.
Q: In 1992, because of ‘Roja,’ you became introduced to the Tamil Industry. You have brought a great revolution to Tamil Cinema. (AR laughs here saying that he is also nodding to what all has been said by the interviewer). What is the difference between the 1992 A.R. Rahman and the Rahman of 2008, and how does this Rahman feel about it?
AR: First and foremost, if we think and believe that we are zero, then everything falls in line properly. When we do something thinking that we know it well, we tend to do the same thing again. When we admit, we don’t know, God blesses, and that makes it special. Now also, while trying to do something now, if we think that we know how to do, based on the belief that we had done this before, then we get burdened. The formula is to believe that we never knew it that time, and will continue to do it with the same style this time also…
Q: Now also, when I speak to you, and see you, I get amazed seeing you. A man who has 22 Filmfare awards, 6 Tamil araasu Awards, National Awards, Padma Shree. But you appear like a student who has just finished his UG after college, and who is like applying for a job. How are you so humble and how does it come to you?
AR: For some people, it is a plus and for some it is a minus. When I take every music that I do, as a blessing from God, I don’t take it to my shoulders. I try to follow the same philosophy always, and it has been doing so far so good. Actually, there is one common aspect between Music and God, which is Love. All religions preach ‘Love each other.’ And similarly, while listening to music, you should feel compassionate, and start developing love towards everyone. You should start developing a goodwill to do good, and that sort of music is Divine. Melody can transform a person, who would want to kill someone into a love-showering one.
Each film is different, and it all depends on the director’s choice. And for that matter, we can’t bend ourselves too much. A mixture of fast-paced and melody songs is a good combination.
Q: When we asked the Director about the re-recording, he was telling that Sir has done a very wonderful job, by taking the film to new heights in the same. He was telling this with joyful tears.
AR: hmm… Actually, it’s not only that. It’s just an experimentation. If you happened to see ‘Jaane tu,’ the film has got a same old story, which has been said before. But, the treatment, the dialogues, and the scenes were different, which gave it a complete new color.
Q: Amidst your busy schedules, you give an opportunity to give chance to a new singer. How do you get the confidence that the new voice would be acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu. (when there are a lot of singers who keep giving you their demo CDs etc)?
AR: Amongst the singers and their voices, people who make me turn back and listen to their voice would be a choice, as even people would be feeling somewhat in those lines. Their taste would be better taste than ours any day. When a singer’s voice clicks, we have a discussion with our team consisting of H. Sridar, Srinivasa Murty, Noel James, and when they say that a voice is good, then I usually agree with theirs.
Fav Raags of yours
That can’t be said in particular. Everything depends on our mood. Once upon a time, I was loving desh raga. Sindhu Bhairavi. Now that the school has started, we are thinking more in the western classical side, to bring an orchestra out of the same. We are doing research in those lines.
Q: How do you overcome criticism or face it?
AR: we should see to what extent there is truth in it. If there exists truth in it, we should change it. If an error or a mistake is done, we should get transformed, and life doesn’t end up there. Instead of rectifying ourselves, if we keep doing the same mistake again and again, then it becomes bigger. Sometimes, the criticism becomes unwanted. So, we should decide within ourselves.
Sometimes, when we read the letters in a language, like A B C or even Tamil letters, it becomes a part of our system. And then, we see as to what could be derived out of these letters, to see if a poetry or a novel comes out of the same. Basically, we are all in the basics, and not progressing after the same. There is not much importance given to the art aspect in films, and people just think that they are filmy people.
Our KM Music company, is going to come out with Thirukural. (The questioner says, that this would be a great dedicatory effort to the Language Tamil itself, for which AR says ‘Please don’t add burden like that (Smilingly)’). It will be an enjoyable album. Maniratnam and Vairamuthu have also liked it. They have heard it
My first and foremost aim and aspiration got accomplished in my first movie itself. All that is happening now, is just an added bonus. The first film itself got me so many awards like ‘Time’s 10 best Soundtracks; It went off to Bollywood also: National Award’.
Blazee speaks
It was really a blessing to be part of this song when Mr. Rahman gave the idea about this song. Everyone would feel like dancing when you listen to the groove. That itself is magic, in the way the song was started and all. When I wrote the English lyrics for this, Kalaprabhu, the Director, was with me, and guided me at every step. The Tamil lyrics were written by Mr. Kalaprabhu like ‘Ingum Ingum Pengal…’ The combination worked well, and of course, Mr. Muthukumar also did his job fine.
Chinmayi Speaks:
‘I have sung two songs in Sakkarakatti. All singers would be having a big dream of singing with Rahman Sir. Even a single line sung with him would be a long-cherished dream of many a singer. For ‘I Miss U Da,’ he wanted me to sound innocent (I guess). That is what I could remember very much in that session. And he gave a special name for that ’eminee eminee’ part in that song. I asked him as to who this ‘Indai Haza’ was, for which he replied, ‘It’s you.’ So, I have a new name, and I guess I will use it somewhere sometime.
Dhanu Speaks
This is the third film composed by Rahman for me. It’s a hat trick after we did Kizhakku Cheemayile and Kandukondein Kandukondein. Both the films before were also great successful films. This companionship of myself with Rahman has given hits so far. He always tells, ‘if you are patient, you will get everything fine and right.’ My son Kalaprabhu observed patience to a large extent.
He waited and now he is able to rule the world because of this film, and mainly possible because of A.R. Rahman. After seeing the picturisation of the songs, Rahman spoke to me his heart, congratulating me for all the way the songs have been picturised. When Rahman spoke thus, I felt so elated and blessed to be having a son like Kalaprabhu. That speciality and happiness, I derived it that day, when Rahman praised my son.
Hero Shantanu speaks
‘Sakkarakatti is a completely youthful movie, and the backbone of the movie is A.R. Rahman Sir. He has composed the music for the movie. I am a very big fan of him. It is a very great privilege for me that he had composed music for my first film.’
Kalaprabu speaks
The Hero of the film, SK, is Shantanu Bhagyaraj. Vedika and Ishitha are the two heroines. As I had told before in many interviews, ‘Rahman Sir has given us six boons and not merely six songs…’.
Na. Muthukumar speaks
In Sakkarakatti, I have written three songs: ‘Elay,’ ‘Taxi Taxi,’ ‘I Miss U Da.’ Today, the CDs of Sakkarakatti have been a great hit amongst the public. Specifically, the song ‘Taxi Taxi’ has got the rank No. 1 amongst the previous 20 years of Tamil Cinema. Rahman Sir wanted friendship to be described not in a negative manner, but still highlighting the negativity in a positive manner, and gave us the initial lyrics as ‘Taxi taxi, nanbaa Nee oru Ilavasa taxi.’ If you write like this, it would be of great fun also.
