Where AR thou?

He has been zipping in and out of Mumbai, releasing a music CD, confabulating with filmmakers or simply waiting it out at the airport for a connecting flight.

The only time AR Rahman isn't on the move is when he makes music at his Chennai home-cum-recording studio. And a Rahman composition has a distinct sound, making all his peers accept him as Boss.

On a Wednesday afternoon, when he can grab some time, he speaks straight into the dictaphone:

You're all over Mumbai with the ad hoardings for Worldspace radio. Are you embarrassed since you're quite shy?
Not really. I'm extremely proud to be associated with Worldspace. People are bored of mindless and horrid TV shows. After a hard day's work, music can be so very soothing.

Would you endorse a hair cream?
(Laughs) No, never. Earlier, I endorsed Airtel because of its ad jingle which challenged me as a composer. I wouldn’t endorse a product, which would draw comments like, “Why is he selling shampoos, instead of his music?” .

With Rang De Basanti, you returned to the charts with a bang. Were you relieved by the success?
Undoubtedly it was a big gamble. The film broke every possible rule in the book. It was entertaining but not clichéd, the comedy bordered on self-sarcasm and the songs weren’t the typical boy-meets-girl stuff. Aamir Khan was also refreshing..he didn't make an effort to put himself in the limelight.

It seems you may be asked to perform at the Oscar ceremony in the wake of your concert at the Hollywood Bowl?
I don't know about that. But yes, I realised the wide reach of our music when we performed there. It's high time that Indian music crosses over to the West like their music reaches us. It's my dream to achieve that worldwide recognition, not for myself but for our music.

When did you get to know that Chhaiyya chhaiyya was being used in Spike Lee's The Inside Man?
I've still only heard about it from others, I should get a DVD and watch it for myself. I've heard they’ve used the original as well as a rap-cum-club version. That makes me feel good actually.

After you compose a song and it goes into the market, do you feel a sense of loss?
That's an interesting question. I only feel a sense of loss when the music I create after  much difficulty doesn't become popular. That’s when I feel a sense of loss. But much more than that, my feeling after creating a song is a sense of liberation.

Isn’t Fanaa quite Rahmanesque?
More than being Rahmanesque, I feel Fanaa has a Sufi touch which I quite liked. I don't believe in the term like ‘Rahmanesque’.  My job is to make music, not to take off  on ego trips.

Himesh Reshammiya says he wants to sing for you.
That's very kind of Himesh. But I've never composed a song, keeping a singer in mind. When I compose a song which suits his voice, I'll definitely call him over.

What do you make of his super-popularity today?
It's fantastic. You may criticise his vocals but you can’t take away his success. Himesh is very talented. Even in Chennai, he is criticised for his over-exposure on TV. But that’s not under his control. He has composed songs which people want to hear. Why blame Himesh for this?

Which are the three of your most undervalued soundtracks?
Swades, Tehzeeb and Bose. Audiences have begun to appreciate the Swades music after two years of its release. I get emails from abroad saying that the music of Swades brings them closer to India.  

How come after Piya Haji Ali, you haven’t composed a qawwali again?
Really? I've never thought about this. But I've just recorded a qawwali titled Khawaja mere khawaja for a film to be released shortly.

Which has been the fastest song composed by you?
Khalbali from Rang De Basanti. It was composed, recorded and mixed in six hours flat. That has been the fastest song that I've ever composed.

What music are you listening at the moment?
Amor, the new album by the Spanish singer Andrea Bocelli.

Do you approve of the growing ipod culture?
It's good because you can store so many songs in such a small device. And it’s bad because now we have far too many choices. We don't settle anymore for a single soundtrack or a single artiste. It's all about download: put it in the ipod, listen and erase. We have stopped valuing and preserving music.

As a kid, I would never let anyone borrow my cassettes. Today, it’s all about 60 GB or 80 GB storage space. Still, the question is – are we really using that space for quality music?  Or are we just flipping around with too much flippant stuff?

Who would you say has the greatest voice in the world?
That's like asking which is more beautiful, a rose or a lotus.

And who would qualify as the greatest music director?
Five names come to my mind immediately. Madan-Mohan, Naushad saab, Salil Chowdhury, SD Burman and Panchamda.

indranil_r@dnaindia.net