http://passionforcinema.com/arrahman-not-just-madras-bombay-or-dilli/
A.R.Rahman: not just Madras, Bombay, or Dilli iView Author: J. RAMANAND (Pune, India) Email: [email protected] A.R.Rahman: not just Madras, Bombay, or Dilli No Indian composer has had such pan-Indian success as A.R.Rahman. Forget crossing over to H-Land, just being successful all across India is a feat that has escaped most Indian cultural icons (and theyve tried hard). This is especially difficult for a film composer because release and marketing are decisions of the film-makers which are usually based on the financial implications of language and star appeal. No one would attempt to release a Mohanlal-Raveendran film in Punjab, and stories driven by Carnatic music may not be appreciated in Maharashtra because of lack of context. untitled The result: the audiences for many excellent soundtracks were inherently circumscribed. His prodigious talent apart, Rahman was lucky on a couple of counts. One, the makers of his early films, Mani Ratnam and Shankar in particular, were extremely keen to broaden their audience. Secondly, most of their themes were either of a pan-Indian nature (terrorism and corruption) or had universal masala appeal. The decision to take the Tamil films national, backed with good marketing, immensely benefited the key players: the producers made pots of money (K.T.Kunjumon was briefly a recognisable name), the stature of the directors grew, kids were aping Prabhu Devaas fashion style, non-resident heroines were having their voices dubbed in a bunch of Indian languages, the recently deceased P.K.Mishra had as as much visibility as Vairamuthu and Javed Akhtar, and local technicians grew in stature. But the man who enjoyed the most long-term success was A.R.Rahman. He began straddling both major film territories from the mid-to-late 90s, but a decisive shift happened in the beginning of the decade with Lagaan. Just before that, Rahman was at his peak of his Tamil output, punctuated by the odd Hindi classic. Post-Lagaan, the period films phase took centrestage in the attention of his discerning followers. The phase became almost schizophrenic - the peppy but more routine soundtracks were in Tamil, while the bleeding-edge work was happening in Hindi. Again, this shift was driven by his collaborations, such as with Ashutosh Gowariker and Aamir Khan. The pendulum seems to have swung completely to one end in 2008, with as many as 5 Hindi soundtracks making their way to shelves as opposed to just one Tamil film. In his current form, can Rahman be considered primarily as a Hindi film composer? I think so. Not because of the numbers of these last couple of years, but because of what drives my own anticipation. In the last few years, all those films that Ive desperately awaited have been in Hindi: Water, Rang De Basanti, Guru, Jodhaa Akbar, and now Dilli 6. 56706113-f0b6-45ee-aeec-7f665aab1ba9jodhaakbar-big-1 This may be a reflection of personal choices, but leave aside Sivaji to an extent, the likes of Azhagiya Tamizh Magan or Varalaaru have neither had much to look forward to or left much impact on the timelessness-meter. Rahmans own performance has exponentially matched the quality of the subject and maker. As with his salad days, this is again a function of the people behind these films. These Tamil subjects have largely been prosaic; at the very least, they have been incapable of generating any significant buzz to compensate for their flaws. The edgier Tamil films have gone to younger music directors, either because Rahman hasnt been available to them or because, as is in the nature of things, they seek out newer talents and frequencies. slumdog-millionaire-001 Perhaps this is all cyclical and the going might now begin heading the other way. The effects on his career post-Slumdog Millionaire will also play a part. If the previews of Dilli 6 are any indication, the good news is that Rahman is still sufficiently inspired by interesting topics heading his way to keep fans satiated. His independent ventures are also on an upswing, which means he will be less hemmed in by the whims and provisions of producers and story-writers. Clearly, yet another tide in the astonishing career of a truly Indian composer awaits a taking at the flood.
