I took my children to London: A.R. Rahman

A very Indian rags-to-riches story has made it to the big stage and won itself the prestigious Golden Globe
AR Rahman
AR Rahman. (TOI Photo)
award.

Ask music
director AR Rahman whether Slumdog Millionaire (SM) will be a watershed film in India once it releases and he’s quick to reply. “Yes, it might change the way films are made to an extent,” he states, “SM is a very Indian story and not a white man’s one.”

Despite working on other musicals, SM is perhaps the great nudge that this Chennai boy needed to showcase his versatility on the big stage. Does he think that post SM, more Indian filmmakers will make movies with music in the background rather than featuring separate song-and-dance sequences? “That’ll become routine,” he says, “I like working on both styles – an SM type of a film and say, a Jodha Akbar type of film. They are two different styles in cinema and both of them need to be there. I believe that if you have a style and implement it right, you will surely succeed.”

Working on Danny Boyle’s film, which will release in India next week, was an experience that the music director cannot forget soon. “It was almost a holiday doing SM,” he smiles, “I took my children to London and had great fun!”

Rahman’s upcoming projects include Mani Ratnam’s Ravan and Shankar’s Endhiran – The Robot. “Yogi B’s song has come out well,” he says, adding that it is not the Superstar’s introduction song in the film. Though he is now internationally-acclaimed, Rahman is still considered “elusive”. Is that intentional, we ask him. “Work comes first for me.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t be giving so many interviews,” he laughs, “Sometimes, I just need to disappear or else I wouldn’t be able to deliver!”