Sattamilladha Udhavi ( A help rendered without publicity)

Nakheeran Issue Dated April 23, 2008


A.R. Rahman has done a service without making any publicity. Film circles are buzzing about this help done by Rahman. There is a society formed amongst the Tamil Film Cinema circle. It is a very old society. When it was started, all musicians from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, andhra were members of it. At one stage, it got disintegrated, and people from other states other than Tamilnadu got separated. And so, only musicians from Tamil Nadu stayed in the end.

There were people who had Music Knowledge and experience, but as people became old, the society couldnt function as before, and slowly stopped functioning. All the musicians also became debt ridden.

Amongst those musicians, 100 people above 50 years were selected, Rahman had given them Rs 25,000 each. By doing this, Rahman has not only supported the musicians, but also music. When asked some musicians, they replied , " Without His permission, we cannot give a public interview on this, which would be like tarnishing the service done by Rahman". Thus saying they stopped giving the interview.

When contacted the Chennai Light Musicians Leader Raghuraj chakravarthy, he said , " Senior Musicians, that too people who have dedicated themselves for music have been suffering in life. Knowing this, and being unable to bear this pain, He has supported them, which is a very proud effort. We could have arranged a very big function for this. But, if we would have done like that, the very purpose of he doing this would not have been served. He has done this without any propaganda which is a very big deed".

" Rahman felt very bad, when he heard about about these musicians, who have been hit badly in their lives. He wanted to help them in some way or the other. So, he decided to initially assist 100 people, ( people who are old enough), and thus putting faith on his close associate he dediced the list of people to be helped. He drew a cheque of Rs 25,000 /- on each and every person out of that 100 list. He called the people concerned and distributed to them. He had done this so that the monies will reach the right people, at the right time, with the right amount. He had clearly told them, not to publicise this, and had even requested about this.

The Highlight of this topic is the humble nature of ARR, and his attitude of not creating any sort of publicity for doing such a wonderful act. This is really a quality to be adored, respected and imbibed for any true Rahmaniac.

ARR concert on April 20th

Rahman composes airport song for Hyderabad

The new airport in Hyderabad at Shamshabad will have a song of its own, like most corporate companies do these days.

So, GMR has roped in the likes of AR Rahman and Prasoon Joshi to do the honours. While Prasoon has penned the lyrics, Rahman’s tunes will welcome the guests from March 16 onwards.

It’s well known that Rahman started his career by composing music for jingles. His unique tune for the advertisements like Leo Cofee and Airtel has been very popular among the music lovers.

He also has done theme music for many leading TV Channels.

The master always gives his best, no matter whether it is a movie or a jingle.

Download Jodhaa Akbar movie

Download Jodhaa Akbar movie from rapidshare here:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

Part 15

After several reshuffling of dates and over 2 years in the making , UTV and Ashutosh Gowarikar bring to you Jodhaa-Akbar a complete epic in itself. Any comparisons with Mughal-E-Azam or Ashutosh’s previous piece of work should be strictly avoided.

Besides a good star cast and soulful music, Jodhaa-Akbar has much more to offer. Set in the sixteenth century, JODHAA AKBAR is a love story about a marriage of alliance that gave birth to true love between a great Mughal emperor, Akbar, and a Rajput princess, Jodhaa. Little did Akbar [Hrithik Roshan] know that when he married Jodhaa [Aishwarya Rai Bachchan], he would be embarking upon a new journey -- the journey of true love.

The daughter of King Bharmal of Amer [Kulbhushan Kharbanda], Jodhaa resented being reduced to a mere political pawn in this marriage of alliance, and Akbar's biggest challenge now did not merely lie in winning battles, but in winning the love of this defiant princess.

Firstly Jodhaa –Akbar isn’t too complex a film to understand, the script and screenplay is simple and above all the language is simple with a mix of Hindi and Urdu.

The characters in the film are so real and leave a heavy impact on you. Only a visionary such as Ashutosh Gowarikar can dare to do such a film. When Ashutosh kept justifying the shuffling of the release date, one thought it was all humbug. But on viewing the film, you are more than convinced that a film of such magnitude indeed requires a lot of courage and patience to firstly shoot it and then edit and compile the various scenes.

It is so obvious on screen the amount of effort put in and the care taken to craft a film such as this. Just observe the casting of the film, besides the prime faces we know of, Ashu brings to you such tremendous talent that fits the bill even with their slightest of roles in the film. For example, take a look at the Villain in the film-Niketan Dheer, he is much taller and built than Hrithik which makes it so believable in the fight sequences that Hrithik is bound to fall when he collides against him. Also take a look at the various kings, the common men depicted in the film, the warriors etc. It’s just apt.

On the performance graph, no one could have possibly played Akbar with such elegance as Hrithik. Hrithik is simply fabulous. It’s not just his body and looks that impress but it is the way Hrithik carries himself throughout the film. He impresses in almost every sequence. Watch out for Hrithik’s duel with the elephant, his sword fight with Aishwariya , his dialogue delivery and expressiveness when he is betrayed by his step-brother. Also the climax fight sequence has some great dialogue delivery from Hrithik.

Aishwariya stands perfect as Jodhaa. Many would state that after Hum Dil Chuke Sanam , Ash is simply at her best in Jodhaa-Akbar. The sequence where she sets her demands before Akbar are impressive. She emotes well in sequences where she is humiliated by Akbar’s step mother played by Ila Arun. She also does well in bringing out that romance and is smooth with the sword sequences.

Sonu Sood is yet another character to watch out for as he portrays Sujamal, Jodhaa’s step-brother with ease. He impresses with both his dialogue delivery and sword handling. Poonam Sinha returns with a terrific guest appearance. Ila Arun freaks you out and watch out for her dialogue delivery with Ash as she expresses how possessive she is of her son Akbar. Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Raza Murad and Rajesh Vivek are all so apt and add to this epic.

Defintely the credit for this magnum opus goes to Ashutosh whose dares to dream big. But, without a skillfull team of technicians this would still be just a dream. Firstly, A.R.Rehman’s music is simply soulful and the right mix for a film such as this. The songs just grow on you and the background score is simply terrific. On leaving the theatre you are sure to hum either the ‘Jashne Bahar’ or ‘Azeem-o-Shaan Shehanshah’ track. The choregraphy and picturisation of ‘Azeem-o-Shaan Shehanshah’ is splendid.The song that was shot in 12 days is rich in colour , choreography, camera movments- you name it, it carries all. It’s been a while since the Indian Audiences have ever seen something like this.

Kiiran Deohans brings in topnotch cinematography. You are simply floored by the way the camera tracks out from low below the horse’s legs and various other sequences show you simply how brilliant the D.O.P is. Take a look at even simple sequences where Ash’s brings in a curtain to separate Hrithik from her and the conversation between the two is shot with great style.

Haider Ali teams up with Ashu to bring a screenplay that is highly researched, interesting and very impressive. The length of the film is indeed 3hrs 20 mins but , Haider and Ashu can’t be fully blamed for it.Haider does a cameo in the film , he is seen in the ‘Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ track. K.P.Saxena’s dialogues are terrific. They are simple and carry the aura that an epic such as this requires. Take a look at the dialogue when Akbar takes on Jodhaa in a swordfight .The costumes by Neeta Lulla are so rich , apt and terrific. The costumes just make the characters stand out.

To sum it up Ashutosh has taken great care and pain in bringing us an epic. Even the animals in the film have been dealt with great care and surprisingly you don’t have a single scene where horses are made to fall , elephants rolling etc unlike those done in epics before. Ashu simply proves that he is a master of crowd sequences right from Lagaan to Jodhaa-Akbar, just take a look at the number of people that fill the screen.

The only drawback of the film is it’s heavy length which can’t really be dealt with as Ashu attempts to compress years of history and bring it to the masses in just 3hrs 20 Mins. Kudos Ashu!

A R Rahman concert videos

I managed to take videos of the A R Rahman concert in Chennai on February 9th on my mobile phone.The concert was held at YMCA grounds.The concert was awesome,except for the sound engineering.Chitra,Hariharan,Blaaze,Chinmayee,Neeti,Ujjaini,Benny,Naresh Iyer,Mohamed Aslam took part.
Here are the videos:

For Athiradee,The Boss,Unplugged,Mayya Mayya and Vennilave,go to

www.plasmasplayground.blogspot.com


Rahman's entry:




Jaage Hein and Khalbali:


Kannalane:

Chat With A R RAHMAN today

Allah Rakha Rahman burst on the national musical consciousness in 1992, with a score for the Mani Ratnam-helmed pan-Indian hit Roja that was markedly different from the prevailing template of film music of the time.
In the 16 years -- and a shade under 100 films -- since then, Rahman has created for himself an indelible place in the minds and ears of music lovers not just in India but around the world.

The year just ended, 2007, was rich with soundtracks as varied as Guru (where he collaborated yet again with director Mani Ratnam), Shivaji (the Rajnikanth starrer for which his music sold in the millions) and co-composer alongside Craig Armstrong for Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

2008 promises to continue the trend of quality married to quantity: The soundtrack of Jodhaa Akbar is already racing to hit status; coming up are his scores for big banner films like Yuvraj, Gajini, Delhi 6 and Rockstar.

Audiences know him, love him, from and through his music alone; the reclusive genius has been reluctant to engage in extended interviews or appear in live interactions with his fans.

That is set to change at 11 pm IST/0930 Eastern, Saturday, February 9, when A R Rahman will appear, live, on the Rediff Chat to interact with millions of his fans around the world. The audience will inevitably be 'standing room only', the questions will certainly be voluminous.

In order that Rahman can answer as much as humanly possible, the maestro has requested that you send in your questions ahead of time -- he will, at the appointed hour, appear live on the Rediff Chat to answer as many as he can.

Go here:

http://www.rediff.com/movies/rahman08.html

Sakkarakatti music release on March 2nd

Ar rahman’s next venture is all set to release on March 2nd. Its name Sakkarakatti and huge publicity is given for the music of the fim. Cut out of Ar rahman with a guitar are seen all round Chennai. Kala Prabhu is the director of the movie.

The film features Bhagyaraj’s son Shanthanu in the lead and Vedhika as his pair. Kala Prabhu says that he spent around 2 crore for shooting a song in Prasad studio. The song portrays New York City after 500 years. Shanthanu and Vedhika were dancing around with a lot of French girls for the song.

A.R.Rahman's first compostion-Vellithen Kinnampol

Ever since I listened to the numbers from En Suvasakatre in my standard 8,I became a crazy fan of ARR.Like all die hard Rahmaniacs do,I did some research on thala,read his biography and listened to all his numbers.Until very recently I was under the impression that his first composition was a jingle(aka an advertisement).I was wrong however;seems he first composed when he was a mere child at the age of 11! Moreover,this composition has appeared in a Malayalam film called Penpada(1975).

Here is an excerpt from an ARR forum:


On April 2006, on a music program in "Amrutha TV", Baranikkavu Shivakumar was the guest. He is the one who written the songs for the film "Penpada"(1975). He started to sing "vellithen kinnam pol" and declared its ARR's tune.

When he was working for that film, the music director was R.K.Shekhar(ARR's father). Totally 4 song to compose. He composed 3 song and take a break. That time six year old ARR came and play some music bits in Harmonium. All are surprised and ask him to do the full song. Everyone like it and decided to use it as the movie's soundtrack. Its titled "Vellithen Kinnam Pol" and sung by Jayachandran. Whole orchestra is done by his father RK Shekar but the basic tune is Rahman's.

When ARR came to trivandrum (Kerala) for Kairali-Swaralaya award, KJ.Yesudas confirmed this story and sang this song on stage!

As with all other ARR songs,I liked it,though with a slight sense of doubt that ARR may not have composed it at all;that doubt vanished when I became addicted to the song after hearing it 4 times.I believe ARR was the first to brew the Slow Poison-a poison without an antidote!!!

Download Vellithen Kinnampol from here:

http://rapidshare.com/files/83782051/VellithenKinnampol.mp3


Or listen to it here:

http://www.devaragam.com/vbscript/MusicNew.aspx?MovieId=595

‘Sultan’ for Pongal

Here is some exciting news for the fans of superstar Rajinikanth. They can see Rajini in action in all screens that show the Pongal release movies.The trailer of ‘Sultan the Warrior’, an animated movie being made by Rajini’s daughter Soundarya, produced by Adlabs in association with Ocher Studios, will be screened from Pongal. The official sources reveal that the trailer would runs for 1 minute and 43 seconds.

The trailer is sure to excite the audiences, as it is the first ever experiment to show the action hero with incredible charisma in an animated form. The film with the music of A R Rahman is expected to be released by the end of 2008.

ROBOT Posters released on net

It has just been a couple of days since official announcement on superstar's next venture is out, his fans all over the world have already donned their creative thinking caps. As a result, the Internet is flooded with stunningly conceptualized imaginary posters of Rajini's next venture Robot,created by his fans. Interestingly, the posters also have the list of cast and crew they think would suit the movie better. Hmm...perhaps this is what you call lending a helping hand to the director..
These are what you'd call fan art.

Marmayogi update

Everyone in the film industry aims for an Oscar. For actor Kamal Hassan, his latest project may just take him a step closer to the award. How? He has roped in Walt Disney as the producers for his next film.

Dream project

This film also happens to be the actor’s dream project and is called Marma Yoghi.
This big budget film could not do with just one producer, so now there is a co-producer — Bharat Bala of AR Rahman’s Vande Mataram fame. Thanks to Bharat, this film will also see Kamal Hassan and AR Rahman coming together for the first time.

International producer

Walt Disney Productions has recently tied up with Yashraj films and will be producing a film called Roadside Romeo for them shortly.

Fortunately for Kamal, the production house wants to spread its wings across the country too. The actor will be in the US to discuss production details for this film that will be shot in Thailand. Kamal plans to start shooting for this film in February.

Shooting up

Marma Yoghi is to be a historical story, set in the seventh century. The film is also touted to become the most expensive film in India.

A source says, “Kamal has budgeted this film at approximately 120 crores and as we all know, a film is never made within a quoted budget. It is bound to be the most expensive film ever made in our country.”


Once more

With remaking being the trend of late, it is not surprising that Kamal’s dream project too is another remake. The original Marma Yoghi was released in 1951 and starred legends MGR and Anjali Devi. The story is based on the novel Vendetta: The story of one forgotten, in the year 1886 by Marie Corelli.

Kamal’s Marma Yoghi will feature three heroines and rumours are that Kamal has zeroed in on two of them — Asin and Hema Malini, both of whom have acted with him before.

When ARR sleeps...

An interesting tidbit shared by Raihana,ARR's sister...

"It seems like , even when ARR sleeps, you can notice at times, his foot doing some tappings of some rhythms. Raihana used to feel that he is not sleeping, but in fact that
happens when he is actually sleeping".

This goes to show that even in subconscious stage , ARR is just thinking of beats, rhthyms, tunes and music .. Oh What a MAN ..!!! Music Walking on Two Feet!

Rahman’s birthday gift

The music wizard A.R. Rahman has made his 42nd birthday a memorable one. He has decided to offer a rare scheme to the music world. He has decided to launch a music conservatory that promises to offer a holistic training programme in music and music technology.

Rahman has been dreaming to establish such an institute for quite some time. The genius, who turned 42 on Sunday, was quite excited that this dream was taking shape. “All of us, musicians, have felt the need for such training. Most of us had to take the round-about way. This initiative will help aspirants move ahead faster,” he told in an interview on the occasion.

The KM Music Conservatory and Audio Media Education will start functioning at a place next to Rahman’s studio in Kodambakkam. He has plans to move it to a campus in the outskirts of the city. The programme will start by May, 2008, informs AR Rahman.

The courses include Western Vocal and Instrumental Performance, Indian Classical Vocal, Western and Indian Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Ear Training, Piano, Audio Engineering, an Apple certified course in Logic Pro, and a Digidesign certified course in Pro Tools. These courses will definitely help the younger ones to develop their skills.

“The KM Music Conservatory is an attempt to recreate a world-class orchestra for the enjoyment of India's people. Currently Indian composers must go abroad to find orchestras to record. The vision of KM Music Conservatory is to eliminate this obstacle and provide an exemplary orchestra here in India", said Rahman in a press released issued on his birthday.

The faculty will include professors from India and abroad, and other musicians who will train students in Indian and Western Classical music.

The school will soon audition students who play flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass and percussion. Students also have the opportunity to audition for the professional KM Music Symphony Orchestra on completion of the programme.

A special day for The Mozart of Modern Times

I wonder how much time has passed since I last heard a Rahman number? Hmmm that's hard to say since I'm not used to expressing time in milliseconds.Well,you get the gist;there's not a day that passes for me without experiencing(I don't call it listening;its too mediocre a word to be used in this context) a Rahman number.

What makes his songs so special?Why do I call myself a Rahmaniac and jump at the slightest mention of his name?I'd one of those rare introspections today and slowly came to realise that ARR's songs link to my memories and experiences.Thayya Thayya reminds me of my first train journey and my first cultural experience;Dil se re brings back memories of a stormy night with no electricity.That was the first time I used a walkman and the sound had me floating in ARR's ambience.Pachai Nirame is tied to that visit to Kodaikanal,with the song so beautifully blending in with the surroundings,attributing a sense of completeness to the moment.Columbus will be the souvenir I brought back from my standard 8 excursion;Thendrale from Kadal Desam is my first understanding of the pain in love.

Whenever I hear Chinna Chinna mazhai thuligal,I smile at the memory of me standing in the terrace one evening while it was raining cats and dogs.Thirakatha Katukkule was the first ARR number I heard and fell in love with-a love that would have no limits or end.Santhana Thendral is the one that reminiscences of my first keyboard,my tenth standard and...my first crush :)

This list has virtually no end,just like Rahman's music.I could go on and on like this and this post would therefore finish without my wishing ARR...Yeah,on this very day some 42 years back,the Mozart of Asia stepped into this world;I thank God for this beautiful gift to mankind;ARR is undoubtedly a legend who walks on this earth amongst us,with seemingly perfect notes flowing seamlessly from the very fibres of his musical being.

God bless you,Allah Rakha Rahman,on your birthday;may He give you a very long and blessed life.We Rahmaniacs will continue to bask in your music forever.

Always a Rahmaniac,

Sriram

Download JODHA AKBAR movie songs-high quality

The film centers around the romance between the Mughal Emperor Akbar, played by Hrithik Roshan and his Hindu wife, Jodhabai, played by Aishwarya. The music will be composed by acclaimed music composer A. R. Rahman. The soundtrack of the movie is to be released on January 9, 2008.[2] This movie is scheduled for release on February 15, 2008.

Download Jodha Akbar mp3 songs by A R Rahman here:

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Rahman composes music for Puli

AR Rahman has given music to lot of Tamil movies which have been dubbed into Telugu and gone on to become good hits. A.R Rahman will be composing music for Pawan Kalyan starrer Puli movie. This movie is being directed by our very own S.J Suryah.

He has promised to compose and finish the songs by 2009. Pawan Kalyan will start with this S.J Suryah movie after he completes Jalsa and an home production in which he is acting as a hero too. S.J Suryah also has a couple of movies to finish including Vil in which he acts as a hero.

It is rumoured that a whopping amount was paid to Rahman to compose the music for this film. It is also said that the producer of Puli is willing to go upto Rs. 35 crore as far the films total budget is concerned.

A.R.Rahman's latest venture Jodhaa Akbar-the talk of the town

After finishing his second Tamil movie in a row – for the less informed, they are Sivaji and the recently released ATM – Rahman is now busy finishing off Ashutosh Gowaikar directed epic tale Jodhaa Akbar starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. The results of Ashutosh’s previous outings with Rahman for Lagaan and Swades need no elucidation.
Jodhaa Akbar
Produced by UTV pictures, Jodhaa Akbar’s music rights were earlier sold to BIG Music. However, quoting lack of time for the promotion of the music and blaming producers UTV for the same, BIG Music recently withdrew from their contract. Music of Jodhaa Akbar will now be promoted by UTV, who for this sole purpose is launching a music label on their own. Higher officials at UTV swear that there is no better launchpad for their music label than releasing Rahman’s music.

Rahman’s music for Jodhaa Akbar has already raised the bar among critics and music lovers alike with its trailer, which had some great music by the maestro. Sources close to Rahman say that the music is very contemporary and one of his best.

The official soundtrack contains 5 songs and additional two instrumentals. The music was to release on 18th December. However, according to Jodha Akbar official forum and as per Gowarikar's post, "music is not being released on 18th December. I know i had originally told you all that date, but preparing the cd and cassette in lays is taking a little more time and so we wont be releasing tomorrow. Will let you know very soon what the new music release date will be. Thanks, and hope you are looking forward to the music," the exact date of music release in doubt.

The first television promo aired on 9th December, 2007.

Vande Mataram and now Tamil Thaai Vazhthu

Legendary director Balu Mahendra, who seldom makes open requests, was seen making one to none other than the ace music director A R Rahman on an open stage. Balu Mahendra had always teamed up with Ilayaraja, his favorite composer for all his movies and for him to put forth a request to Rahman came as a surprise to everyone present at the venue.
Ar Rahman

Having praised Rahman for taking the national song to the youth with his album Vande Mataram, he requested him to compose a new tune for the Tamil anthem, Tamizh Thai Vaazhthu, an ode to the Tamil language, in an effort to popularize it among the Tamil youth. A R Rahman, present at the function, was all smiles when he was showered eulogies for his music from the legendary director who works only with his contemporary Ilayaraja. This is another event that took place during the Kalloori audio launch function. For those present at the venue it was definitely a discourse on films from the legends of Tamil cinema and their protégés.

A R Rahman and Vijay on Sun TV

Yeah,the title reads "Rahman and Vijay" but I believe the musical thala in the show was for more interesting to listen to and watch.I love Rahman to my guts,and am a die hard fan-but this interview increased my respect and adoration for him hundredfold.His answers are perfectly straightforward,yet never gravitated by headweight or hurtful.Well,thats Rahman for you.Amazing,everytime I think of it.

I was able to get a high quality video of the interview.Watch A R Rahman and Vijay being interviewd on Sun Tv during Diwali here:

http://beatallblogs.blogspot.com/2007/11/isaipuyalarr-illaiyathalapathyvijay.html

The Musical Boss in Delhi-for a concert

"Every time I would perform..." Rahman Speaks

I found an interesting interview of A R Rahman on the net and thought I'd post it here.

The Interview:

Finally After a gap of 15 years, A. R. Rahman in association with Fever 104 - Delhi’s hottest radio channel, is ready to perform a live concert on 17th Novemberf or all those living in the capital of India.

Enjoy the special chat between RJ Lokesh and the ‘Musical Mozart of India’ A. R. Rahman.

RJ Lokesh sharing his experience facing the living legend
A. R. Rahman

Many musical days ago, our boss had promised me that we will get to meet AR Rahman himself, at our very own Fever 104 studio. Needless to share, we did not believe him. However, when in the month of September, we were told to get gearing for a visit from Rahman himself, we couldn’t wait to meet the maestro. As a token of our enthusiasm we decided to put our singing chords together and hum a few lines.

In anticipation

"Rahman is on his way.. he is almost here.." we could hear a buzz and suddenly we all bunched together to launch into our much rehearsed number for the great musician. On landing on our floor, he was given a rather traditional welcome and then shepherded to the main lounge where we poured our singling skills into a medley of his music!

All the while, we were singing, we kept craning our necks for a closer peek at him and after the song, he was amongst us, shaking hands with one and all. A winning smile, a shinning countenance and a bemused expression; and it struck us that he is a giant of music, but here he is, mingling with all of us with such graciousness and ease. He complemented our singing and smilingly said that he was much taken in by our spirit. "A little out of tune, but I loved the spirit", was Rahman’s reaction and we all burst out laughing.(Thalaiva....!!!)

The perfectionist.

By now, we were ready to hug him and ask him all those questions that were burning inside and also get him to sign memoirs for us. And then suddenly, it was time for him to get smuggled away.. In between answering our questions, laughing with us and sharing a joke or two, Rahman, the genius, also touched us by his humility and his readiness to share our big moment. A. R. Rahman struck us as someone totally grounded and in touch with reality.

Lokesh: How are you feeling to be here in Delhi?
Rahman: I am feeling excited for the show that is scheduled on the 17 November.

Lokesh: So how excited are you about the whole concert and the talent hunt? We’ve never had such kind of a talent hunt ever in the radio industry.
Rahman: I think it’s a great opportunity for me as well as the winner to share the stage because the winner is going to come and sing a song in the concert.

Lokesh: And you’ve been in the industry for the past 16 years so what took you so long to perform in Delhi?
Rahman: You know in my childhood days, I was in a rock band and every time I would perform it would be a disaster because of the lack of equipment and the lack of expertise on part of the people who handled the shows. My first show happened after five years of Roja in Malaysia. I selected venues outside India because of pushing the thing forward and in 2002 we started doing shows in India regularly so I was waiting for the right time to come. Of course this concert in favour of Fever 104 is a big statement for us.

Lokesh: What are your expectations from Delhiites?
Rahman: Ummm.. you guys say that the song list is different in all the stations all across India, say in Bangalore and in Delhi for example. So I am looking forward for a list where people can send their favourite songs and we’ll try to perform it on the stage even if it’s an odd number.

Lokesh: Since this whole thing is so huge, what is that you are looking for? Any pre requisites for the talent of Delhi?
Rahman: Well, I am actually looking for a unique voice. It’ll be a starting point to use them at the concert.

Lokesh: Can you elaborate on how you define uniqueness?
Rahman: I think when you hear a voice it should create something - magic. Then you realise that there is something that you can’t actually explain.

Lokesh: Ok and you’ll be giving them training for a week down in Chennai.
Rahman: Well it’s not only a training. It’s just to get the fair out of them so that they can come here and perform.

Lokesh: And since we’re talking about the new talent, I think that you have always promoted the new talent in the industry. I think going back in time, Baba Sehgal and Shweta Shetty in Rukmini Rukmini in Roja. Then you also made Hans Raj Hans sing in Nayak, then Javed Ali and now the latest sensation, the national award winner Naresh Iyer who sang a fantastic song Roobaroo in Rang de Basanti. Are you always looking out for something new in the industry and give them a boost?
Rahman: Because song creation is an art and can’t be done perfectly with a formula so when we’re writing a song it’s just in rough. Even when Naresh Iyer sang on the track it was with us for couple of months and then we felt that it’s a great voice and then we realised that he could be the final voice. So there is no pre-planning for that kind of stuff.
Lokesh: So how does it feel, working during the night?
Rahman: I think music is not a 9 to 5 job. It needs headroom where you can push yourself and go further when it demands and that’s one of the reasons why when you start in the night, there are no hindrances of any kind. Most of my work is peacefully done at night.

Lokesh: Do you have any fond memories of Delhi that you can recall?
Rahman: Well, right now I think its Hindustani classical music or qawwali music which is pretty strong. I think of Nizamuddin Dargah where they perform all the qawwalis and Hindustani classical concerts which I’ve seen and apart from that I think its your radio.

Lokesh:. And how about the city, have you travelled in a metro?
Rahman: No I wanted to but couldn’t manage.

Lokesh: So what’s the line up of songs do we have for the 17th?
Rahman: Guru, Dil Se, RDB, Roja and probably some other stuff from my international compositions.

Lokesh: Thank you so much Rahman for being with us. It was a pleasure having you here in the studios and all the very best for the concert.

Courtesy of the transcript : HT Media