The interview which appears below, was originally published on Mumbai Mirror in August 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.
Double Oscar winner A.R. Rahman’s life has become super-hectic after his international win. This Chennai-based music composer who has been dividing his time between Chennai, Mumbai, London and Los Angeles, has now begun to miss the time he used to spend at home with his wife and children. So Rahman took a totally unscheduled break from his assignments in LA and was back in Chennai on Friday for two weeks.
Confirming the news, Rahman said, “The kids were always there with me when I worked regularly from home in Chennai. Now I get to spend less time with them. Even now when I’m here in Chennai, work for my pending Hindi films like Blue has to be taken care of. I’ve come at a time when I cannot afford to take a break. My first Hollywood soundtrack for Couples Retreat has to be ready because the film is releasing on October 6.”
Not that Rahman is complaining. He is used to being rushed. “I always liked to work at my own pace and that hasn’t changed. But now the volume and profile of the workload is so eclectic that I need to find more time to focus on the individual assignments more carefully. Yeah, it’s a tough balancing act.
But I’m enjoying myself. After I finish the soundtrack of Couples Retreat, which is 80 per cent complete, I’ve an artistes’ album coming up. It is one of my biggest international challenges. It’s too early to talk about it. But yes, it will involve musicians from all over the world and I’ll be composing the music. Recently, I also got to work with the John Williams Orchestra and that was a dream-come-true. I guess my dreams are coming true,” gushed Rahman.
Rahman wants all his children to be adept at music. In fact, Rahman’s son, Ameen, who has sung in Couples Retreat, attends Rahman’s music academy in Chennai. Commenting on Ameen’s early start, Rahman said, “It’s just a small part of a song in Couples Retreat. We found his voice to be suitable for it. And that’s it. My son is certainly not embarking on a singing career at that age. He’s just a child. He has so many things to do and achieve before he decides on a career. I think he should be allowed to do what he likes. The final call will be his. No peer pressure.”
Rahman returns to LA in the second week of August. Tease him about being Dr Rahman and he says, “You will have to say the `Doctor’ thrice,” referring to the three doctorates that he has received since the Oscar triumph.
