Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, who celebrates his birthday today, gets chatty about topics close to his heart
The year 2011 was a relatively disappointing one for fans of the Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, as the composer released just a couple of India albums (Rockstar and Ek Deewana Tha). But there's good news in this new year as Rahman - who turns 46 today - is all set for his homecoming, quite literally, with at least four projects down south.
There's Rajinikanth's Kochadaiyan, Gautham Vasudev Menon's Yohan: Adhyayam Ondru, Mani Ratnam's film and a movie with Bharatbala on the cards. "I am doing Rajini's film and it should be exciting," he starts off. Will he use any of the tunes that he already composed for Sultan or Rana, the other Rajini films that are on hold at the moment? "We're yet to decide about that," he says.
Though all these assignments will keep the composer in the country this year, the first week of 2012 has seen him out mostly of India. "I was out of the country on January 1 and will be pardes on my birthday as well, so there are no special plans," he says.
Rahman will join hands with his favourite director, Mani Ratnam, yet again for his upcoming flick that's already making headlines. So what can we expect from the combination this time around? "Mani is quite secretive these days," he says with a smile and adds, "We're still in the process of working out the music for the film."
Is there any non-Rahman film music that he has liked of late? "I can't think of anything other than Why This Kolaveri Di?, which is nice," he replies.
Currently, the composer is extremely happy that some of his popular orchestral tracks will be performed live by a team from the German Film Orchestra, Babelsberg, and the students from his KM Music Conservatory in a five-city tour. "When I was a musician, a crowd used to gather to witness how music is made," he reminisces, and adds, "In these concerts, you can witness this and the way orchestral tracks are played, sans any digital enhancements. "Unfortunately, now the studios have shrunk and this no longer happens."
Rahman's keeping his vocal chords busy this year too, and he's begun by crooning a track in Ek Deewana Tha. "It's an addition to this album and something that didn't feature in the Tamil original (Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya)," he signs off.
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