"" I'd like to bring the first Oscar to India"" Ambitious dude
God bless ~~~ On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 12:38 PM, yasheer_ar2 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > *INTRODUCTION* > > > > > Just 22, and he gets a personal call from Rajini, telling him his Kuselan > music album is a benchmark in Tamil movie music. Find out in this exclusive > Behindwoods interview why he and his uncle, A.R. Rahman, never discuss music > when they meet, why he dislikes remix songs, and his burning desire to bring > home India's first Oscar. > > "Please stop comparing Rahman and me." > > *BW: On the Kuselan album* > > *GV:* The movie is a very emotional story about two friends. One, played > by Pasupathy is an ordinary man, and the other played by Rajini, is a > superstar called Ashok Raj. Now the songs for each character is different in > sensibility: a song like Sollamma, Sollamma reflects the life of Pasupathy, > a song like Perinba talks about a superstar's awesome achievements. Om > Zaarere is Rajini's duet, Nayan's song, Chaaral is more hip and modern. The > idea was to have different emotions in each song that suits the character. > Here the Superstar appears in the movie for an hour, unlike in the Malayalam > original where Mamooty only does a cameo. The scale of the songs for > Superstar here have been done spectacularly. > > * > What has been the Superstar's reactions to the album?* > > He loves it. He has called me at least twice on my mobile to tell me that I > have crossed the records of any other Tamil music album. Rajini Sir and I > have become good friends! (Laughs). It's amazing to hear him say `we are > setting new records'. Om Zaarere is being played everywhere –I hear it even > in cars. But I tell myself always: okay, you've made a hit song. Now move on > and see how you can do better with your next album. > > *Which songs does Rajini particularly like?* > > If you're looking at melody, he likes Sollamma, if you're thinking of a > hit, he likes Om Zaarere. > > > " Rajini called me at least twice on my mobile" > > * > How difficult is to compose music for the Superstar?* > > See, it depends on the composer. If you give me a choice between two > difficult song situations and two easy song situations, I'll take the > tougher one. That's my character: to take on a challenge. And in Kuselan > I've met that challenge in such a way that the Superstar is pleased. > > *Are you satisfied with the album?* > > I am very satisfied – I think it's my best to date. > > " Rahman and myself like our own space " > > > * > What has Rahman said about the album* > > Well, he likes the Chaaral song and the Cinema, Cinema song. And that was > great to hear from the legend. > > *How difficult is to be A.R's nephew –what are the expectations and > pressures of that?* > > First of all, there is no comparison between us. That is all the work of > blogs and fans. You have to take that away from your mind and listen to my > music independently. Then you'll see that my music is different from A.R. > Besides, as a family we don't meet to discuss music. We meet rarely and when > we do we talk about other things. If A.R. says something about my music it > will be to my sound engineer, and then I get to hear from him that he liked > such and such song. I heard that he liked my songs in Veyil. That's how we > are: we like our own space. > > * > What are your personal ambitions?* > > I have a long way to go. I'm just starting. But I'd like to bring the first > Oscar to India. I'd like to aim for something like that. > > *Who are your favorite music composers?* > > Apart from Rahman, I like Ennio Morriccone, Hans Zimmer and James Horner. > In Bollywood, I like Shankar, Eshan, Loy. > * > * *Have you heard Dasavatharam's music?* > > Himesh does what he knows best in his style. I liked Oh Ho Sanam song > *What is your method?* > > I do two songs in my style, and I let the director choose the rest. I give > the option to them. I give the directors a lot of space.* * > > > " I'd like to bring the first Oscar to India " > > * > What inspires you?* > > Even a painting can inspire me. Or a story. The story in Veyil inspired me > very much. > *Your feelings about Veyil?* > > I am thrilled that my very first movie went to Cannes, and won the > National, State and Filmfare award. Thanks to Vasantha Balan. The combo > worked out superbly. > *For the cinema, cinema song in Kuselan one of the people you had called > to appear in the song is director Vijay of Kreedom. Why did you choose him? > * > > We think on the same wavelength. We discuss each other's work. We go out to > dinner. He has been a great help to me. And a really nice person. Recently > for my birthday-which was June 13th, he threw a surprise party for me. I > thought one way to return his gesture was to include him in the song as a > way of honoring him. > > *When do you feel fully satisfied with a song?* > > Only after the final mix is over. Before that I am never satisfied. Also, I > know when I'm tuning a song that it could be a hit. Such as Urugudhe. And > for Polladavan and Veyil I got claps in the theatre for the hit songs. > > *How do you choose a particular playback voice for a song?* > > I know it instinctively. For instance, for Om Zaarere I just knew it had to > be sung by Daler Mehendi. And I invited him to sing it. Veyil I thought will > be good for Kailash Kher's voice, and I got him to do it. > > *One song in Kuselan goes up to 7 minutes rather than the usual five.* > > The song required it because at one point at the end of the story the movie > shifts to Kerala, and that's where the extra two minutes of the song comes > in. > > *You seem to dislike doing remix songs.* > > I've just begun composing. Why should I resort to remix? I have so many > tunes to offer to cinema. That's why I avoid them. However, for a > forthcoming Selvaraghavan film, the visuals require it. In this case I am > doing a remix. They have already spent so much on the song, I can't come and > spoil that. > > *What do you tell your playback singers usually?* > > To co-operate as much as possible, and not give excuses like I was held up > elsewhere and so I am late. Also, to give their maximum when singing. > > *Directors you'd like to compose for?* > > Mani Sir. In Bollywood, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Faran Aktar. > > *Fave playbacks?* > > Lata Mageshkar, Rahman's voice I like very much. Chitra madam, Alka Yagnik, > Shankar Mahadevan – and a lot of other singers. > > " When I hear New York Nagaram, I can't move. " > * > Fave songs?* > > From Jillunu Oru Kadhal- New York Nagaram. When I hear that song, I just > have to sit down and hear it fully, and only then continue with what I'm > doing. Luka Chuppi from Rang De Basanti, and the duet song from Ilayaraaja > Sir's Hey Ram. > > *Actors to compose for? * > > SRK, Rajini, Nana Patekar, Kamal. Especially after seeing Dasavatharam, I > have become a big fan. How seamlessly he has pulled off ten characters. > Among heroines, Kajol, Simran and Jyothika. > > *Your age?* > > 22 > > * > Love letters from fans?* > > A lot of fan mail but none of them are love letters from girls. If I get > one, I'll make sure to send it to Behindwoods! > > *Any plans to hold a live concert?* > > Yes! We plan to hold one soon. All the singers for Kuselan will be there, > and it will be a live Kuselan concert. > > * > Your most memorable experience in the industry so far?* > > When Rajini Sir called me and said Kuselan was a great album. Suddenly the > phone rang, and the voice on the other end says, Hello, this is Rajinikanth. > For a moment, I was frozen. I kept thinking: how can I save this call?! > > > > "I desperately wanted to save Rajini's call > * > http://www.behindwoods.com/features/Interviews/interview-5/music-director/g-v-prakash-kumar.html > *<http://www.behindwoods.com/features/Interviews/interview-5/music-director/g-v-prakash-kumar.html> > > > -- Farzad Khaleel Webmaster http://rahmaniac.co.nr
