Rajeev's Recco: AR Rahman: The Musical Storm Rajeev Masand / CNN-IBN Published on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 00:14, Updated on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 at 15:07 in Entertainment ยป India Buzz section
>From his chhoti si aasha of supporting the family after his father's untimely death, to Jai ho, the chant that marks his career pinnacle, AR Rahman's has been a long and challenging journey, and it's chartered here in a thoroughly researched biography that's a satisfying read for every single one of us who woke up bright and early on that February morning and cheered jubilantly as he picked up two Oscars. Titled AR Rahman: The Musical Storm, Kamini Mathai's book is a simple read, filled with important voices and interesting anecdotes. The author reveals right up in her opening note that she spent many, many nights hanging out at Rahman's studio but got only limited access to the man himself. And yet she crafts a clear picture of him through the interviews she secured with his mother, his musicians, the singers he records with, old friends and family, filmmakers who've worked with him, and his handful of close buddies. Written in a tone that's never gushy or reverential, Mathai points out Rahman's many contradictions, sheds light on his hunger for attention, and never shies away from presenting a critical viewpoint. Old band-mates reveal how their upcoming musician buddy abandoned them the moment he landed his first film assignment, thus killing their work-in-progress rock album. Former neighbors and once family friends complain he cut them out of their lives after he embraced Islam. And purists in the Tamil music industry grumble that he doesn't care much for lyrics and pronunciations as long as the sound is fine. What you get as a result is a sharp portrait of a reclusive artiste about whose early life very little is known. It's not like the author's got her eye only on the dirt. Through her conversations with Rahman himself and several of his musicians and filmmakers, Mathai attempts to understand how he comes up with his music -- his spiritual and creative influences, his tendency for spontaneity, his nature to constantly tinker with unfinished tunes, and his random quirks. Look out for a cheeky joke by lyricist Javed Akhtar which smartly sums up the one complaint everyone seems to have against Rahman -- that he makes them wait too long. At times the book is repetitive, revisiting and encapsulating much of what the author's already said before. Also conspicuous by its absence is a serious analysis of Rahman's music. Although Mathai does take us through his career graph, there is never any deep study of his work. Still it's an engrossing read for music buffs and for anyone really who's enjoyed Rahman's tunes. There's no doubt whatsoever it takes you closer to a man you so much admire.
