‘AR Rahman has an underplayed sense of humour’

Author Nasreen Munni Kabir digs up moments from music maestro AR Rahman’s life in her latest book ,

When did you first approach AR Rahman?
I first spoke to him around eight years ago. He did say yes, and then I said I thought we should wait for a while as he was too young, so the actual work began three years ago. I think he agreed because he liked my work, my previous books and documentaries.

Do you still feel he’s too young for having a biography?
Yes, he is. That is why I took the “biographical conversation” approach in AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music. My approach allows us to learn about his thinking, and have a sweep of his life and work. He really is mid-career and a full biography will date very quickly.

Given that Rahman is reserved, was it a tough task to accumulate details from him?
It was really a question of time. We had time on our side, and it allowed him to open up and trust me. We explored his life, thinking and musical journey.

Could you share with us an incident in his life that you found particularly intriguing?
When in 1989, he had his own modest music studio, I never realised what it meant to him. He said his mother had to sell the jewellery that was for his sisters’ marriage so he could buy his first mixer/recorder. The fact she did that shows how much she believed in him. And how much he believed in himself. It was in the details of knowing how he evolved that I found fascinating.

Was interaction over Skype ever a hindrance?
It’s less invasive and because it is more spontaneous you can have great conversations. The fact that you see the person and can record the conversation is a great help. So you don’t misquote. We met maybe 20-30 times over three years. We worked when we could and, at other times, we would go for a biryani! His wife, Saira, was also wonderfully welcoming. He has a lovely family.

Do you see a global interest in the book now that he’s won an Oscar?
We had been planning this book years before he was awarded the two Oscars. I am sure there will be other books on him. He is such an unstoppable talent, there will be more to say about him.

How do you assess him as an artiste and a human being?
He is an original as far as his artistry is concerned. He has changed the way film music is recorded and composed. Like the masters of the past — SD Burman, Shanker-Jaikishn or Madan Mohan, AR has such a distinct style. Listen again to Taal or Jodhaa Akbar, you can recognise his work in a few seconds. That is a sign of an “author” in music.

I have learned to be positive and hopeful from him. He never thinks negatively and never speaks ill of anyone. There is a calmness about him that is catching. He’s also got a great underplayed sense of humour. He’s a fine human being with great values.
 
Any other biography you’re working on?
Yes, it’s called The Dialogue of Devdas, Bimal Roy’s Immortal Classic, which will present the entire dialogue of the film in a four language format: Hindi, Urdu, Romanised Hindi/Urdu and an English translation. The book will also have forewords by Bimal Roy’s family and an extensive commentary on the film.