AR Rahman reworks C'Wealth Games theme song to score with audience

After failing to get India into the groove, world-renowned music composer AR Rahman finally pepped up his composition for the Commonwealth Games theme song.  

The Centre requested the Oscar-winning music composer to rework his composition after the theme song, Oh yaaro, yeh India bula liya, received a cold response from the public as well as several musicians after it was released last month. Even some senior Commonwealth Games organising committee members, including VK Malhotra, did not seem impressed.

Rahman is all out to fulfill his promise of making the Commonwealth Games theme song better than Shakira’s football World Cup anthem Waka Waka.

“The song has been made peppier… Some instruments have been added,” lyricist Prasoon Joshi said, adding that Rahman is known for improvising on his product. Prasoon is part of the Commonwealth Games organising committees’ core creative team that includes Bharat Bala, Javed Akhtar and Shyam Benegal.

 “A video has also been made. It will feature some of the best Indian sportspersons and highlight the country’s sporting achievements. Athletes such as Milkha Singh will also feature in it,” Joshi said.

Urban development minister S Jaipal Reddy, who also head of Group of Ministers on Commonwealth Games, said: “Mr Rahman was requested. He has done his work. We approved it.”

When asked to comment on the theme song, Reddy said, “Even if I was to have a view… these are cultural matters on which ministers do not express their views.”

Javed Akhtar, too, refused to comment. However, Malhotra told DNA, “Let’s see what has been changed. What life Rahman has put into the theme song.”

Rahman, who is in Los Angeles, had initially turned down requests to make any changes in the Commonwealth Games theme song. He was paid nearly Rs5 crore for the song which took him six months to compose.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in the national capital from October 3-14.