Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; October 10, 2017)

There is nothing poetic about politics. Or so you would think. But A R Rahman can wave his wand and weave magic with the unlikeliest of subjects. For his latest outing, the Oscar-winning composer has found his muse in Indian politics. As he unveils his 19-minute music piece that finds inspiration in demonetization, Rahman talks about the idea behind the project and collaborating with Seattle Symphony. Edited excerpts from an interview:

What made you choose India as a subject for your new piece, The Flying Lotus?
The track is not only about demonetization; it’s about the rise of India and it’s open to interpretation. In ancient times, politics influenced music, both in a good and bad way. That inspired me. If you listen to it, it’s got many different emotions that vary from serene to bombastic orchestration. It’s a poetic composition and an optimistic piece. That’s why it’s titled The Flying Lotus.

This project marks your collaboration with Seattle Symphony.
I was in Las Vegas when the members of Seattle Symphony met me. Usually the orchestra and choir are limited to love songs. I wanted to experiment with textures of the orchestra and choir to explore something bigger. That’s why I decided to take India as the subject. The story of India’s rise fascinated me.

You turned filmmaker with One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film. Are you encouraged to make more movies?
Our company is a music-oriented film production, so I was pleased with the result of One Heart. I am glad that it satisfied people who came out of theatres smiling. My team and I were excited about the project. It set the right tone for our production via music.

What can we expect from you on the Bollywood front?
After Taal (1999), the last musical I did was Rockstar (2011). So I’m looking forward to 99 Songs [a romantic musical directed by Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy], which is a full-fledged musical. It’s releasing next year.

Your son, A R Ameen, has forayed into film music. You must be a proud father...
Ameen is just singing here and there; he is still not ready. He’s slowly getting there. He is interested in film music and wants to dwell in it. But he has to complete his studies first. I don’t want him to give up schooling and concentrate only on music. I want him to be academically sound

Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari (MID-DAY; September 19, 2017)

You are the only female singer from Bollywood to be part of One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film. Tell us about it.
One Heart is a concert film, based on A R Rahman’s North American Intimate Tour series that took place back in 2015. I was the lead female singer in the concert, and got to sing in multiple languages and genres. I’m thrilled that the tour has been captured and is airing on the big screen. It has been a turning point in my career.

How was the experience of working with Rahman?
Each rehearsal, show and recording with him is a learning experience. Rahman sir is always so encouraging. One of the most memorable experiences was being able to work on a song with him, from the conceptual stage to the final recording. It was like living a dream.

With songs like Gilehriyaan (Dangal) and The Breakup Song (Ae Dil Hai Mushkil) to your credit, do you feel you’ve found a foothold in Bollywood?
I am grateful for the songs that I have recorded. Each one is unique and has given me a chance to showcase a different side of my personality. Working with a new music director leads to a new dynamic. I enjoy that.

Tell us about your song in Simran.
I have sung a duet called Lagdi Hai Thaai alongside Guru Randhawa [of Suit Suit fame]. The song has a Punjabi flavour and will do well on wedding playlists this season.

Besides Bollywood music, what else is holding your interest?
I want to work with international artistes, besides working on independent music. I also want to focus on my YouTube channel.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 10, 2017)

Parisian PR supremo Ophelie Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, who has completed 25 years in the music industry, is keen to go beyond composing music through his foundation. His film, One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film, which has just released, is being touted as the country's first concert film. We caught up with the celebrated composer.

You have always been a private person, how did you agree to be a part of One Heart, a film about your stage shows?
When we finished our 2015 tour that took us across 14 cities in North America, it felt magical. I had a great time working with the team. We had been capturing candid moments on camera. One of my executive producers told me, 'You want to do something for the musicians and the music fraternity, why don't you release the footage of this tour as a film and let the collections go to your foundation One Heart.' I loved the idea and gave the go-ahead. We got Nasreen Munni Kabir [UK-based producer-director-writer] to edit the footage. After it was done, we realised it had shaped out beautifully. We have interviews with people who have worked with me. I have also added personal footage. When we did a test screening, everyone was in tears.

There are times when you are described in superlatives. How do you look at it?
I think it's important to know where you stand personally and professionally. I do this assessment every day and that happens from the responses that I get from the people I work with. I have never taken my work for granted. I am sensitive towards my work and what I deliver to the audience. That's why I don't talk much and when I do, I want to make sense. Although I am on social media, I don't use it to provide my daily schedule. I don't think that's important.

Is there constant pressure to deliver the best every time you score music?
I work with people who have high expectations, so my job is not easy. It is not necessary that my most popular songs are my best works. But I have enough time to come up with a score as films aren't made in a day. There have been times when we have to change the songs. Mani Ratnam often rejects my work if he doesn't like it and asks to me to compose again. Imtiaz [Ali] had already shot Agar Tum Saath Ho in Tamasha [his 2015 film] but I wasn't satisfied. I changed it completely. It's not about finishing the job for the sake of it.

Some of your fans walked out when you started singing in Tamil during a UK concert in July this year.
If I see 9,000 people in an arena out of which around 50 people aren't happy then I have to support the remaining 8,950 as they have come for the music. It is impossible to satisfy everyone. There are times when we find people who are in a bad mood [laughs]. Even the biggest of entertainers have faced criticism. I have received a mixed response for my music, but I feel we have to look at the larger picture. This wasn't the first time I was singing in Tamil. I remember doing it for the first time in 2000 during a concert in the US. Also, one needs to understand that the promoter is catering to people from across the country. This needs to be considered during a live act.

How do you look at the scenario where language is given more importance than the music?
It's sad when something like this happens. I look at the audience we are catering to. When I perform in south India, I perform more of South numbers than Hindi songs. It is the opposite case when I am performing elsewhere in the country. During overseas tours, the audience consists of people who have migrated from different regions and are living in a different culture. I have seen them celebrate all kinds of music.

Do you plan to make more documentaries based on stage shows?
It depends on how this film does, but we would love to. There are commercial and artistic films. Then there are films like One Heart. We live in times where people remember the music, not the musician. There are several unsung heroes in the world of music. I know many families who are associated with music for three generations, but nobody has heard of them and they die in poverty. Our foundation aims to contribute towards the betterment of these people founded Le Bal in 1992. Today, she's the CEO of the grand event that completes 25 years on November 25, 2017.

Dhaval Roy (DNA; September 3, 2017)

Completing 25 years as a music composer will be a momentous milestone for anyone but, “You need to leave your luggage and move on,” is what AR Rahman says about his journey so far. His debut as a music composer, Roja, released in August 1992, but the Chhaiya Chhaiya and Jai Ho hitmaker is unmindful of the great compositions he has given the music world. “Only when I go on the stage do I realise that I have composed all these songs,” A R says. Not resting on his past laurels is his way of preventing complacency, in turn impeding his progress. “I constantly think about the new chords or orchestration that I can use. I never think about the fact that I have been around for 25 years now. You learn something and then you want to find a new path. That’s the only way you feel elevated,” he adds.

The musical journey
Marking A R’s silver jubilee is his upcoming, One Heart: The A R Rahman Concert Film that encapsulates his musical journey and creative process through a series of interviews, personal clips (information about his family and fans, experimentation, behind-the-stage scenes, etc) and footages from the concerts in 14 locations across North America. “I’m extremely finicky about being filmed,” A R says about being on the big screen. “When I was doing the tour in 2015, I felt we needed to film it because it was about music and the energy, and the sentiment was great,” he says. As the film hits theatres on September 7, the revenues generated would go to the One Heart Music Foundation that works towards supporting lesser-privileged musicians in the industry.

For the fraternity
A R hit upon the idea of starting the foundation seven odd years ago, but it was too big for him to kick off. When he bounced off the idea to the producer, Karan Grover, the latter suggested they film the concert as a movie for the foundation. A R, who serves as its ambassador, wants to now approach other young composers to see how they can contribute to the foundation. “There’s a generation of musicians that has dedicated its life to music, but is suffering now. There is no support system in place for them. I want music to be well protected for people who have given their lives and soul to it so that they don’t die in poverty,” he states.

A R has a similar back story. He lost his musician father, R K Shekhar, at the age of nine. The deceased score-composer and arranger’s music equipment rentals provided the family’s income as his mother, Kareema (earlier Kasthuri), refused to sell the instruments off. “In a way, my whole life has revolved around musicians who have been in the state of glory once. Some musicians in the previous generation had a temperament — today we have money, but tomorrow, let’s see. With this foundation, one is respecting what they have given to music, but today they don’t have the money for medical expenses, their children’s higher education or even letting children pursue music,” says he.

Trusting his troupe
Musicians playing at his concerts for the film have all been cherry picked, he says, and the roster includes impressive names such as the violinist from Hans Zimmer’s group, Annette Philip — musician and artistic director of Berklee India Exchange at the Berklee College of Music, Croatian danseuse Devi Rani Najev, music director Ranjit Barot, singer Jonita Gandhi, and so on. “We have tried to do everything live — what you hear is what you get,” says A R, for whom creativity means selecting a tune and trusting the musicians with what they want to do. “You can’t tell an artiste what they should be doing. It’s their duty,” he says.

Competing with new talent
While A R has always worked with musicians he has previously collaborated with, it’s the new generation of musicians that keeps him on his toes. “They are so talented that they push you to deliver the best. When they do something great, you want to do better. So, there’s a sense of competition. But, there’s also pride that you are playing with some of the best musicians out there,” says he. “It’s a strange feeling that there are people who have grown up listening to your music and now their kids are playing,” he laughs adding, “I’m more interested in the kids now.”

No gatekeepers of music
A R is also glad that there are no gatekeepers of art. Great music can come from the simplest of places such as the social media. He says, “You must be neutral. You need to see how much life, honesty and originality there is in their music instead of judging by their fame, money or followers.”

On the top of his game
A R is one of those musicians who is seldom criticized for what he does. However, that’s not how he sees it. “I know there are some people who are willing to hear whatever I make. But I keep checking my work. These days people have the choice of listening to the best artistes on the internet. So, I keep checking if my band is at par with those musicians. Do we have the character and personality? It’s more work but it’s satisfying when you tick all the boxes,” says the Academy and Grammy awards winner. He says being himself when it comes to making music has ensured that his music appeals to Indian as well as Western audiences.

His favourite musicians
The musicians that have impressed him the most are Ranjit Barot and Sivamani. “They have been working since three generations but are still creating an impression. I’d have really loved to work with Mandolin Srinivas (U Srinivas) who passed away in 2014. That has taught me that I should work with someone I want to immediately,” he signs off.