Just a Minute With: A. R. Rahman on "Slumdog Millionaire"
12 Jan 2009, 1527 hrs IST, REUTERS
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Text:
MUMBAI: A.R. Rahman, one of India's best known composers, has just won a
Golden Globe nomination for his score in "Slumdog Millionaire" -- a
first [image:
A R Rahman] <javascript:openslideshow('/slideshow/3967885.cms')>
<javascript:openslideshow('/slideshow/3967885.cms')>
for Indian
music<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>.
In an interview, the 42-year-old composer talks about what that nomination
means to him and also reveals plans to work with Australian pop star Kylie
Minogue.
Q: We've heard you are going to be working with Kylie Minogue?
A: "Yeah, for a film called "Blue". They (the producers) wanted a celebrity.
There were three or four choices, but we chose Kylie. There was
Beyonce<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
a couple of other people, but we thought Kylie would be the correct
choice."
"Things should happen in the next couple of months hopefully. I don't know
whether I will just be composing, or singing with her as well."
Q: When you did the score for "Slumdog Millionaire," did you expect the kind
of accolades it's getting right now?
A: "No, I never had that intention. I just did the score because I liked Danny
Boyle<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
because it's (about) India, so I thought it would be good to be
associated. Also, it was good to see that he knew my work and wanted that
kind of flavour, so that was very important. He respected my work."
Q: How did you come onboard for the project?
A: "He (Boyle) was trying to get in touch and I also tried to contact him
but I was so busy doing so many things that I could never get in touch.
Suddenly one day we met, he gave me a script, which I didn't read
unfortunately. Later he gave me a DVD cut, and once I saw it I was moved. I
called him and said this is a masterpiece."
Q: What has been the inspiration for this film?
A: "Well, for this film, working with (Sri Lankan artiste) MIA has also
helped a lot. I met her after I was almost 50 per cent done with the film. I
already met her before we met for a couple of days at my house in London.
Speaking to her, talking to her, kind of opened up inspiration. That's how
'O Saya' came about. I worked on the
song<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
sent it to New York and she sent her vocals back."
Q: What does a Golden Globe nomination mean for you as an Indian artiste and
Indian music as a whole?
A: "I think if it's a good film, it's like a beautiful girl, whatever you
put on her, it's just complementary. A good film demands its own score and
if you are a
musician<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>,
your conscience will never allow you to do something mediocre for a good
film."
"In this case, Danny was so friendly... you never get someone who is so
simple. In the Western world, most of them are a little uptight, they say...
oh you're from there... there is this put on diplomacy, sometimes. But here
it was different; it was almost like I was a friend."
"By that time he was almost in Mumbai, he was like a Bombay person. Within a
year he started loving almost every place there, the people, this music, and
that restaurant, while respecting everything there. He even sent the two
kids who acted in his film to school; he was educating them, which was so
great."
Just a Minute With: A. R. Rahman on "Slumdog Millionaire"
12 Jan 2009, 1527 hrs IST, REUTERS
Print<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3967844,prtpage-1.cms>
EMail <javascript:openWindowmail1('/mail/3967844.cms',410,500);>
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Save<javascript:showdivlayer(3967844,'topdiv');>
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Single page
view<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-3967844,flstry-1.cms>
Text:
MUMBAI: A.R. Rahman, one of India's best known composers, has just won a
Golden Globe nomination for his score in "Slumdog Millionaire" -- a
first <javascript:openslideshow('/slideshow/3967885.cms')>
<javascript:openslideshow('/slideshow/3967885.cms')>
for Indian
music<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>.
In an interview, the 42-year-old composer talks about what that nomination
means to him and also reveals plans to work with Australian pop star Kylie
Minogue.
Q: We've heard you are going to be working with Kylie Minogue?
A: "Yeah, for a film called "Blue". They (the producers) wanted a celebrity.
There were three or four choices, but we chose Kylie. There was
Beyonce<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
a couple of other people, but we thought Kylie would be the correct
choice."
"Things should happen in the next couple of months hopefully. I don't know
whether I will just be composing, or singing with her as well."
Q: When you did the score for "Slumdog Millionaire," did you expect the kind
of accolades it's getting right now?
A: "No, I never had that intention. I just did the score because I liked Danny
Boyle<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
because it's (about) India, so I thought it would be good to be
associated. Also, it was good to see that he knew my work and wanted that
kind of flavour, so that was very important. He respected my work."
Q: How did you come onboard for the project?
A: "He (Boyle) was trying to get in touch and I also tried to contact him
but I was so busy doing so many things that I could never get in touch.
Suddenly one day we met, he gave me a script, which I didn't read
unfortunately. Later he gave me a DVD cut, and once I saw it I was moved. I
called him and said this is a masterpiece."
Q: What has been the inspiration for this film?
A: "Well, for this film, working with (Sri Lankan artiste) MIA has also
helped a lot. I met her after I was almost 50 per cent done with the film. I
already met her before we met for a couple of days at my house in London.
Speaking to her, talking to her, kind of opened up inspiration. That's how
'O Saya' came about. I worked on the
song<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>and
sent it to New York and she sent her vocals back."
Q: What does a Golden Globe nomination mean for you as an Indian artiste and
Indian music as a whole?
A: "I think if it's a good film, it's like a beautiful girl, whatever you
put on her, it's just complementary. A good film demands its own score and
if you are a
musician<http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/3967844.cms#>,
your conscience will never allow you to do something mediocre for a good
film."
"In this case, Danny was so friendly... you never get someone who is so
simple. In the Western world, most of them are a little uptight, they say...
oh you're from there... there is this put on diplomacy, sometimes. But here
it was different; it was almost like I was a friend."
"By that time he was almost in Mumbai, he was like a Bombay person. Within a
year he started loving almost every place there, the people, this music, and
that restaurant, while respecting everything there. He even sent the two
kids who acted in his film to school; he was educating them, which was so
great."
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/ET_Cetera/Just_a_Minute_With_A_R_Rahman_on_Slumdog_Millionaire/articleshow/msid-3967844,curpg-2.cms
--
regards,
Vithur
