The interview which appears below, was originally published on Times Of India in January 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.R. Rahman is deliberately turning down big assignments here because of copyright and royalty issues related to music sales. The reticent keeper of the raga and rhythm is reluctant to discuss the issue.
“It’s too complicated. But, yes, the issues do stop me from accepting more Bollywood offers. Those who want to work with me in Mumbai but won’t agree to my conditions are going to other composers. At the moment, I’ve also cut down on film assignments because I want to focus on creating a Western-classical music conservatory in India. With this, I hope to bridge the gap between Western classical music and Indian ragas. Imagine a thumri being played by an orchestra! Or a Carnatic raga being a part of a big Hollywood epic,” said Rahman.
The musical visionary says he needs to take his music to another level now. “I can’t be doing just films, films, films all my life,” Rahman stated. “But whenever I work in Mumbai, I give my fullest concentration, as I did for Ashutosh Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar, which I’m proud of.”
However, international assignments are becoming more prominent in Rahman’s career. “I enjoyed doing Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth — The Golden Age. Now, my music for the stage adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings is ready. The album is being released in February.”
Rahman sees this album as his big international leap. “Every song has a minimum of 200 musicians and technicians involved in it. Huge choirs and orchestras were brought into play. We recorded the album in London and mixed it in my studio in Chennai. The whole crew came down from all over the world.” All the songs are in English and in Elvish, the language of The Lord Of The Rings. “I had lots of help from fellow musicians like Christopher Nightingale. It took me three years to complete the album.”
Looking back, Rahman is not in the least content with his achievements. “It’s never enough,” he rued. “Music is my only therapy. There are so many awful things happening in the world. I wish I could heal the world. My peace anthems like ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Pray For Me, Brother’ are a small candlelight in the storm. But you never know which candle will light a thousand other candles.”
