Bangalore Press Meet – Part II Press : Mr. Rahman, you have been composing music for both Tamil & Hindi films. How different or similar are these two?
ARR: Hmm… I think it is the sensibility. Sometimes, it seems to work both ways. Sometimes, it doesn't. Like, taal worked in Hindi, but didn't work in Tamil. But Dilse worked in both the languages. So, it solely depends on the director. If he (Director) has got a wider vision for a film, then it works out all over. Press: Are you a director's music director or …. ? ARR: I become a different person. When I am with myself, I try and be myself. But when I am with a director, I see the whole vision through his eyes. Press : You recalled your association with Mr.VijaiAnand and Dwarkish. Could you tell us something about that? ARR: After I came out of Mr. Ilayaraja's troupe, I had my own equipment and stuff like that. I was a keyboard player, then I got upgraded as an arranger. Most of the films I did was with Mr.Dwarkish, probably I have worked on 3-4 films with them. This was probably in 1988-89. Press : Apart from movies and concerts, are you doing any album of your own? ARR: There are plans, but once you get into the movies, they pull you out, they suck all your energy out. There are a couple of numbers ready for the album, but I am still yet to sort it out. Press : When do you plan to come out with it? (the private album) ARR : Whenever it is ready (Smiles) Press: Your experience of Bombay Dreams., Could you please tell us about it? ARR : Bombay Dreams was not just a challenge to do tunes or to do songs. Actually, it lied at trying to get our culture on a western stage. And that was possible because, first of all, the Divine factor which helps me, and good support from AL.Webber, Shekhar Kapur and Marilyn Lloyd Webber – all of them, and the whole Indian press in London, which really helped a great deal. What it did for all us is, they realized that we can do it, and in style. In fact, now LOTR is happening, is an after-effect of BD. Press: Nowadays, all musicians are techno-savvy. Do you think it has undermined the creativity of lighter components of music in any way? ARR: Hmm.. I think people have upgraded themselves in light music. I see a lot of changes in that also. It has a wider audience now. So, I wouldn't say things have changed. Press : When you do the recording of an artiste in a studio, the situation is perfect. But, when you are out on live stage, the conditions are different. So, how do you try and match the standards of the studio? ARR : That's the reason why I do concerts once in 2 years (Laughs), so that we prepare ourselves, practice and stuff like that. Press : Do you like composing music alone, or with people around? ARR : Mostly alone, ya (Smiles) Press : Are you a loner? ARR: Loner? No, not with 3 kids around (Laughs out Loud) Press : What is the inspiration for your new creations in the music field? ARR : There are lots of things actually. Probably sometimes, the opposites. When you see so much of violence around you, you want to do the opposite… extinguish the fire. Also, working with different kinds of people inspires me. Press : What makes you tick? Is it music or anything else? ARR : (Laughs) I don't know. That's why I keep praying, so that things should keep ticking. Press : You had also been a judge for a musical competition recently. What kind of learning did you have, and did you spot some real talent? ARR : I got a couple of singers. One is Naresh Iyer, he has sung for Anbe Aaruyire (A-Aa ) in Tamil and Rang De Basanti in Hindi. He lost the contest, but I still felt that his voice texture was good. Press : Would you like to sing 2 lines for us, from your favourite composition? ARR : No, no! you have to come on 8th..! (Everyone in the room burst out laughing). Same reporter : Anything, please ? ARR : No, you have to come on 8th. Press : You are known the extract the best from your singers. What is it in you that inspires them to give their best? ARR : It's the same thing what Maniratnam did to me. He didn't say "you do this" and put a circle around. So, I learned from that. If somebody does that to you, we should give the same freedom to other people. Like, I get a singer, teach them and I let them sing, rather dictating them to do this & do that.. Some singers don't catch a tune fast, some people go wild while they sing. Since you have the technology to keep the take and then edit the same later. That's the reason I take more time to do a song, unlike other people who can finish a song fast. Press : Are you looking forward to scoring a movie for a Kannada movie? ARR : Maybe… If I get an interesting script to work on. Press : How will you look at music, as a director and as a singer? ARR : Mostly as a composer. The singer in me needs more practice. That's the reason why I cant just sing when she asked me to (Smiles). I need practice.. singing needs practice. 10 days before a program, we all practice, so that we can do it as perfect as we can. Press : Can you say about the young generation musician? They also need 'riyaaz' and all? ARR : Yes, defenitely. One thing that works in the field now is speed. If somebody sets a tune, they like if the singer catches the tune immediately, not keeping teaching them again and again, because the mood goes off. That's the reason, why singers like Sonu, Shaan, Mr.SPB, Chitra, have survived for so long. They have excellent pickups to learn a song. Mr.SPB can sing 15 different songs a day. He can forget the previous one and go and record the next one. So, that's a very important thing, not just the voice and the feel, but also the speed of learning. Press : Hi Mr.Rahman, do you have any ambitions? ARR : My ambition? (Smiles) I don't have any ambitions. I just keep going, keep taking everyday as it comes. Press : Your goal in future? ARR : Hmm… Now my goal is to do a very good concert in Bangalore. Nobody knows the future. Press : How do you describe the 3D Tour? ARR : 10 years back, we did a concert, and then we did concerts in 2003. When we looked back, we felt it was boring. If we felt that it was boring, people would also feel the same. So, Deepak came up with this idea of 3D. Press : How many new numbers is the concert going to have? ARR : Probably 30% new numbers. We have singers from Bosnia and Armenia. ARR : Actually, we need to clarify on the singers list. Deepak will do that (Hands over a small sheet of paper to Deepak) Deepak : The singers are Alka Yagnik, Chitra, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sadhna Sargam, Kailash Kher, Madhushree, Sukhwinder, Blaaze and like AR said earlier, two singers from Armenia & Bosnia – that's Anne and Alma. The Q&A session was finally over. It was time for AR to leave. While he was walking out of the room, still surrounded by press people, I managed to squeeze in through the crowd and told him Me : "Sir, I am from the Y! groups". ARR looked at me and asked "Ok, Are you done?" Me : Actually, no. I will wait till you are free. ARR : Ok. He went up to his room on the 4th floor, so I went up there and waited outside his room. There will press people outside, waiting for their turns for interviewing him. After a long wait, once all the interviews were over, I was allowed to go inside the room. At this time, I was very nervous, because I was waiting for this moment for the last 14 years. I am not able to explain what kinds of emotions went through my mind. He was standing in his balcony. ( I will try to quote the conversation exactly as I had with him). ARR : Hi Me (still in nervousness & a shock): Hi ARR : So, how are you ? Me : I am fine. Sir, I am not here to ask you any questions. I just wanted to tell you how much we all the group love your music, and love and adore you as a human being. ARR : (Smiles) Thanks Me : Do you have any message for the groups? ARR : Hmmmm.. Not now. We will do something for the group. Me : Can I record this conversation, please ? ARR : Hmm… No Arun. I am not in that mood. Me : Sure. I handed him a cover of "Rising" for his autograph. At that times, my hands were filled, with 2 cams, and the cd cover and the pen. Maybe, seeing this, he took the pen and the cd cover, signed and gave it back to me. ARR : How is the response to Mangal Pandey in the group? Me : Response is 90% good, and 10% bad. 10% bad, because people must have expected Mangal Pandey to be something like "New" or "Kaadhalan". ARR : (Smiles).. Haha. Why? Because there is no "Mukkala Mukkabla". … ? Which song did you like? Me : I love all the songs, though I am still to catch up with Holi Re. Takey Takey is my favourite. ARR : Holi Re ? . (laughs) In fact, that's a song done in a grand scale visually. Takey Takey? Hmm… Me : In Takey Takey, isn't that your daughters singing? ARR : (Laughs out loud) Ya! They were shouting. Me : What are your future offerings ? ARR : Hmm… I am doing Rajiv Menon's hindi film, Jodha-Akbar, Water is premiering in September in Toronto, Jill Endru oru kaathal, Rang De Basanti, "Buddha" with Shekhar Kapur. Me : We are all waiting for "Water". That's an album which you rated your work 10/10. ARR : (Thinks) .. Hmm 10/10.. That was then .., not now(Laughs out loud). At this point, the other people standing there wanted me to leave, because AR had a flight to take at 8.30. I decided to call it quits, as it was a very tiring day for AR. I got only 4-5 minutes with him, but these are moments which I will cherish for my entire life. With a content heart, I told him a bye, he offered me a shake-hand, and I was off. The last glimpse I had of his when I was packing up my bag. He went past me, told the others in the room "I will just be back"… went into a room, and closed the door. Friends, I could not help but get amazed at this person's humbleness, and his down-to-earth nature. I just could not imagine that he is a such a huge personality. In the whole event of the press meet, AR was the only person to apologise for being late. That shows what kind of a person he is. Even though he was in a very busy schedule, where each minute counted, he was willing to give 4-5 mins for us (just because I was from the group). So friends, he knows about the group, and I think he does read the messages here too. I have recorded the video and have taken some snaps, which I am yet to extract I from the cam (technical problems). I will be uploading it by tomorrow or day after. Wishing ARR all the best …. Cheers ! Arun This August, Discover the Birth of Your Independence and The Magic of A.R.Rahman's Music in Mangal Pandey - The Rising http://www.risingthefilm.com http://www.mangalpandeythefilm.com Music released: Jul 14, 2005 Movie releases: Aug 12, 2005 Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
