AR Rahman talks about music, movies and family

AR Rahman talks about music, movies and family
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Written By Ashwini Deshmukh
Junior Assistant EditorPosted Mon, Aug 1, 2016
http://www.filmfare.com/features/exclusive-interview-ar-rahman-talks-about-music-movies-and-family-14831-1.html#descArticle



I can’t stop beaming ever since I heard the news that the prestigious Berklee College Of Music, after conferring an honorary doctorate degree on AR Rahman in 2014, has now announced the Berklee AR Rahman Scholarship in the maestro’s honour. It makes you happy that Rahman, the humble composer, a follower of Sufism, whose music has touched millions, will now be able to help talented Indian artistes move in the right direction. 

The global music world, time and again, has applauded him for integrating Eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres along with traditional orchestral arrangements. The genius back home has also earned the title ‘Mozart of Madras’ and the nickname Isai Puyal (musical storm), given his unique musical sensibilities. But the maestro takes all the accolades including the recent scholarship named in his honour with humility.

Rahman reveals that he too wanted to learn music at Berklee but couldn’t do so because of economic constraints. “I missed going to Berklee when I was young. At that time I was the sole earner in my family. The bigger reason was also because I got Mani Ratnam’s Roja (1992). So I chose Roja over my wish to study.” 

And now the same college, which was a farfetched dream for him, has honoured him in such a huge way. “It’s an interesting phase of my life to be a bridge to do greater things for the next generation. So when I see these kids going there with the scholarship in my name, it gives me immense happiness. I hope they come back as amazing musicians and are able to bring change and spread the knowledge that they’ve gathered,” he says.

His was a rather humble childhood. His father R K Shekhar, was a film-score composer and conductor for Tamil and Malayalam films. He remembers carrying lunch for his father when he was four and watching him work. “I’d sit in the machine room, which had big magnetic machines. An old engineer would hold a lamp and would say, ‘Take’,” he recalls. 

He adds that his father was hugely overworked and used to conduct music for seven different projects at the same time. “My father wanted to have his own house and he worked extremely hard
to achieve that.” His mother, Kareema Begum, brought the children up single-handedly, taking up the role of both parents after his father passed away when he was just nine. 

He grows emotional and says his mother is someone he respects a lot because of all that she has been through. “She’s been a beacon of light for us to stay strong in testing times. She’s a huge inspiration and she was the one who took the decision that I pursue music. I owe it all to her.” 

Rahman’s other pillar of support is his wife, Saira Banu. “I’m indebted to my wife for keeping my life going, for taking care of our children, Khatija, Rahima and Ameen and my family. And also for getting me amazing costumes to wear and going about it passionately,” he smiles.

“I guess, I couldn’t be a good father because I was always working. But Saira took care of everything. It’s a huge bliss, when you have a supportive family.”



He has a philosophic stance on fatherhood. “I love what Khalil Gibran says, ‘Children come through you, not from you.’ So they all have their distinct personalities. When I went to my father’s studio after he passed away, I heard only good things about him. 

I wish, as a father, I could be even a small percentage of that to my kids.” His mother introduced him to spirituality and down the years, he’s turned composing music into a spiritual experience. “My music has to work for me first. I should like it because I’m living with it longer than any other person. If it recurrently gives me a good feeling, then I know it will be good for others too.” He says he feels he’s in sync with his Creator while composing. “The Sufi tracks wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t feel a connection.” 

He admits his connection with divinity is stronger on days he’s working on spiritual themes. “Most of the Sufi songs or the songs, which celebrate the Almighty, like Khwaja mere Khwaja or Oh palan haare or Kun faya kun happened because there was a strong sense of surrendering to His will. That state of mind doesn’t come very often,” he confides. “Once the song is made, it’s not yours anymore. You hear many qawwals (singers) performing the Sufi tracks at remote places; it’s so beautiful to see that.” He adds with a childlike smile, “I compose a lot of Sufi songs, which are only for my friends and me. What get released are the selected few.”

He’s known to frequent dargahs in order to get inspired. “I go where there’s a calling. They have to call us and we have to seek...,” he says referring to the shrines of saints he visits. There have been many tales about his austerity. Like he sleeps on mats or floors in a bid to lead a simple life. He laughs and agrees he used to do those things before. “Now I have developed back pain. I have to behave according to my age." 

He’s also supposed to be on a perpetual quest to annihilate the ego, something not deemed possible in the ego-centric industry. He smiles and says there are different kinds of egos. “You may have the ambition to create the best music in the world. But that doesn’t make you any special as a person. My creative ego is different, my personal ego is different,” he explains. 

He adds that an artiste should take his professional responsibility seriously. “People are paying you for creating something. So you have to do your best. You have to have a sense of pride and you have to work towards it.” 

On one hand he has witnessed unimaginable fame and success and on the other we see he's a seeker of eternal truths. It’s a wonder how he achieves a balance between materialism and spiritualism. 

He turns quiet for a while and then replies humbly, “The Prophet has always said, follow the middle path. Don’t slide either this way or that way. That’s one of the greatest advices I’ve come across. And that’s what I’m following.” 

It’s hard to be a practising Sufi in a world, which is increasingly full of conflict. He says the way forward is to take affirmative action and not remain aloof. “We can’t just say, ‘Somebody else will take care.’ 

The problem is that people generally leave the important tasks to others. Sadly, they’ve lost their own place because of that. You have to take responsibility of things. Be it politics or anything, if everybody turns away from it, then who is going to rule you? Some crook?”

He thinks it’s important to cultivate leadership everywhere, whether in an institution or a state. New India, according to him, should discover new leaders. The need of the hour is to create and nurture youngsters to become future leaders. 

That’s what he’s doing through his music conservatory in Chennai and through the Berklee scholarship. “There’s no use resting on the work of the previous generation, exhausting it and not giving back. That’s what I’m doing, training the future generation to excel and give back to society. They all look bright and promising and I’m sure they’ll make a difference,” he states. 

He wants the younger generation to do better than him. “I’ve done whatever I could within my limitations but I want them to go further. In every possible thing, in creating bridges, becoming ambassadors of unity, peace and create joy.”



Giving advice to young talent he says, “When we step out of the house, we look at the mirror. Similarly, it’s important to look at the mirror of your musicality too. You need to figure, where you stand. 

If you want to become a singer like Sonu Nigam, you need to know how hard he has worked. Don’t expect superstardom in the first leg, if it comes easy then it can also fall flat. It’s always better to build it through experience and become well-versed in all facets. Then you have a firm ground to stand on.” 

He adds persistence is important and quotes a beautiful line from Tamil poet and lyricist, Vairamuthu to elucidate that, ‘Like he says, ‘You can even make water stand still on a cloth. How? You have to wait until it becomes ice’. So, you need to have patience. 

You can develop your talent so beautifully that you become better than others. I don’t like singers who come unprepared and make you take a 100 retakes. I appreciate singers who come prepared and do the song in one take. Do your homework. People don’t have that kind of time anymore.” 

That he himself pursues excellence could be sensed in the soulful score he gave for Imitaz Ali’s recent Tamasha. Tum saath ho could well be dubbed the love anthem for a generation lost in turmoil.

After achieving every plaudit under the sun, he now wants to be an instrument for the younger generation. He wants to push them and help them bring out their creative best. 

“Twenty days back, I was on a cruise and I was playing Quincy Jones. Young piano players and singers came and applauded me saying, ‘Wow! What a great performance.’ Things like these fuel me and give me creative energy.” 

Ask him about his idea of immortal music and he ruminates, “Anything which connects and is made with honesty will work. And anything that is made just for the sake of a movie will fall flat.”