The article which appears below, was originally published on Blender Magazine in January 2009. ©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.
It was magical watching the ‘Mozart from Madras,’ as Time magazine christened him, walk down one of Hollywood’s most prestigious red carpets in an Armani tux at the Golden Globe Awards Ceremony in LA. And it was surreal watching him walk past Sally Field, Clint Eastwood, George Clooney to name a few to get to the stage to receive his and India’s first Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Slumdog Millionaire.
Danny Boyle and his crew stood and gave a standing O. “Unbelievable,” he exclaimed while receiving the statuette, “I want to thank the Lord and the one billion people in India. Thanks for your prayers.” He quickly accepted while reading out names from his little acceptance speech note he had scribbled on the Four Seasons Hotel notepad, where he was staying.
The man, whose music has enchanted generations in India, was a cynosure of composure. Rahman would later recall what was going through his mind then and backstage at all press interviews. “It was quite robotic. They announced my name and I simply got up from my corner seat and turned left towards the stage. Danny and I didn’t look at each other even when the nominations were being announced. I just got up and walked. We hugged each other only afterwards,” Rahman recalls. Classic Rahman.
Just like the way he felt uncomfortable being kissed by the lady and the way he went out of his way to hug the man, conferring the honour on stage. “I am humbled with the honour. I was up against legends like Hans Zimmer, Alexander Desplat and James Newton Howard. This award is for my musicians in Chennai and the Indian people. Of course for Danny and his exquisite cinema,” he adds on a long-distance call from LA.
At nearly 400 musical compositions in film, television, radio, album and commercials and now even Broadway, A.R. Rahman is truly India’s finest living music export. His halting crescendos and his flirtations with rhythm of many Indian classical instruments make him both Bollywood’s and the South Indian film industry’s most talented music composer yet.
Now, having created magic for Slumdog Millionaire, the most illustrious piece of cinema of the year, he’s become the world’s favourite musician. Boyle knew he wanted nothing but the most authentic to breathe India into his screenplay. And for that, he would have no one but A.R. Rahman to breathe the folk, and the etherealness into the Mumbai of his dreams. “I was introduced to Rahman’s music by Andrew [Lloyd Webber, director of Bombay Dreams]. It made sense and I needed him on the movie,” Boyle had mentioned on several occasions.
“Danny and I share a unique camaraderie. I understood his narration instantly and he responded to my melodies in the same way. His was a very empowering script and I was willing to make it as authentic as I could. It was his movie, not mine,” Rahman, the modest maestro, recounts the recording sessions in LA and his studio in Chennai.
The music of SDM was typical Rahman—mellifluous with a strong harmony line and intense instrumentation. “Danny and I worked together as a team. I saw the first DVD cut of the movie and was quite impressed. He told me what he wanted and I gave him some ideas myself. Of course, he said no to a few. He didn’t want another Elizabeth, he said. It was to be as Indian as it could be,” Rahman recounts.
In a movie with Anil Kapoor in a supporting role and other names, Rahman stuck out instantly. The international lobby knew the name well and they were willing to give it a chance. London’s West End Theatre and New York’s Broadway has credited A.R. Rahman for its two most prestigious plays The Lord of the Rings and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Bombay Dreams.
Shekhar Kapoor introduced him to Hollywood, when he penned down the score for Elizabeth. His 2007 album, Pray for Me Brother, won him acclaim at the Billboard charts and was recorded especially for the UN Millennium Development Program. In New York City, his first soundtrack Roja was listed in Time magazine as “Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time” in 2005. The foreign press acknowledges him as, “the shy man from the East who spins magic” and filmmaker Baz Luhrman (who picked his track “Chama Chama” for his marquee magic Moulin Rouge) is amongst his biggest fans.
No doubt the industry and media watchers are proud. Shahrukh Khan exclaimed, “It is a proud moment for every Indian. Rahman has made us proud by winning the coveted award. I was an invitee to the award ceremony. To witness an Indian achieve the feat is an achievement in itself.” The actor, who has lip-synced and danced to many a Rahman tune, was beaming from the side curtain.
Friend Aamir Khan is no doubt elated as well. “A great musician…. Rahman is a rare talent. He is sure to go places. I wish him all the very best for his future endeavors.” Rahman also gave music to Lagaan and Taare Zameen Par, India’s early two entries to the Oscars.
Our expectations of Rahman getting the very coveted and often controversial for us Indians, the Oscar as well. With expectations so high and Rahman’s relentless pursuit to please his audience, it ought to get scary. “No actually I don’t consider it a burden. Rather I feel this immense responsibility to give back to my people in the way they have given me so much. It’s music I know and I will give to them. I truly would like to get the Oscar home for my people.
If they pray for me and the world feels I am truly deserving, I will,” Rahman shrugs calmly. No state of exhilaration or excitement in his voice. Rahman’s ease in accepting what is India’s biggest entertainment achievement yet, is more to do with his own discipline.
“Before I get up to face the world, I do the morning namaaz and do try to keep up with all the other four times as well. I ask the almighty for strength, wisdom and safety for me, my family and my people. I always keep prayer beads in my pocket and you’ll find them near my piano whenever I am composing as well,” says the very religious and spiritual Rahman.
For now though, we are taking Rahman back and his menu for 2009 is choc-a-bloc with soundtracks of Blue by Vishal Bhardwaj, Delhi 6 with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra among others besides many other international projects, he’d rather not disclose for now. Besides that there is also his open invite to nurture new talent. Which is why after Naresh Iyer, whom he picked up at auditions for another reality show, titled Big Band. In the meantime he is taking time out for his philanthropist endeavour, the A.R. Rahman Foundation aimed at eradicating poverty.
“I was earlier pondering on other problems, but then realized that the root cause really is poverty. It’s not as far fetched and is quite possible,” says an optimist who wrote a song for the UN last year with his foundation as a partner aimed at eradicating the same. Of course, we know by now that anything is possible, when it comes to Rahman.
Music Without Borders
His profile may have soared after Slumdog, but Rahman has always been creating ripples internationally.
Bombay Dreams: Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber commissioned the maestro to score the music for the Bollywood-themed musical. It was a triumphant hit
Lord of the Rings: Rahman teamed up with Finnish folk band Värttinä to set the theatre production of JRR Tolkien’s tale of hobbits to music
Raga’s Dance: Vanessa Mae collaborated with A.R. for her album Choreography and “Raga’s Dance” was one of its finer moments
