Happy Birthday Dear Rahman Ji
It’s 2012; hence the mark of two decades since Rahman Ji landed on the scene.
DEAR OSCAR THAMIZHAN MOZART OF MADRAS ISAI PUYAL PADMA BHUSHAN DR. ALLAH RAKHA RAHMAN HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY, BEST WISHES!!!!
My recalling of how I became a Rahman Ji worshiper
My earliest memory is when I heard Rukkumani. I was three and I know many people can’t remember things from childhood because they are so grown up but the memories we do have must mean something because we’re able to reach to that part of our brain and use it to better ourselves. Anyways, I was at my cousin’s house with Roja playing on the Hi-fi next to me, when Rukkumani came on I thought it was the best thing I’ve ever heard and I kept telling my cousin to rewind the song after it finished. She seemed extremely pissed off but after a while even she couldn’t get the song out of her head. Funnily I didn’t even know who the Music Director was lol I was unaware of Rahman Ji’s existence yet I had been warped by this one song like never before.
The next track to change me was Mukkabla. I watched the film before I heard the track and when watching the film, every song was beautifully shot. My picks are Ennavale Ennavale and Mukkabla. As a listener I love Urvasi Urvasi and Kaadhalikkum Pennin Kaigal.
My brother used to purchase audio cassettes every week or his week wouldn’t be complete hehe. That’s how I developed an ear for Indian film music. I still didn’t know that all the material I was listening to was in fact dubbed from Tamil. Time passed and I was continuously humming and nodding my head along to Humma Humma, Kuchi Kuchi, Maya Machindra, No Problem, Ooh La La La etc. whilst not bothering to check the audio credits as I used to just take the cassette and shove it in the stereo.
Once on holiday in India, me and my family went to an audio shop, I saw the CD of Rangeela and it read original music by A.R. Rahman and I saw his face for the first time. I still remember that day as I didn’t let anybody change the music for our five hour drive. When arriving home (UK) I went to my brother’s collection as I wanted to listen to Chor Chor (Thiruda Thiruda) and when taking the cassette out I made sure I look at the name of music director on the cover. I got into this habit and became selective to A.R. Rahman. Over time I realised that Rangeela was his debut Hindi project as prior to that all his material was dubbed. P.K. Mishra and Mehboob deserve high praise for not slaughtering the lyrics.
Post my India holiday I dwelled in the soundtracks of Priyanaka (Indira), Kadhal Desam (Duniya Dilwalon Ki), and other A.R. Rahman albums that were lying in my house yet being unknown to me.
In 1998 - 99 A.R. Rahman released many Hindi projects i.e. Dil se, Daud, Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, Earth *Kabhi Na Kabhi *(exlcuing Anjali Anjali from Duet), Taal and Thakshak.
With the millennium round the corner, I still wasn’t a hardcore fan as I am now. I still hadn’t heard any Tamil songs. In 2000 A.R. Rahman arrived with Pukar and Zubeida. I didn’t take much notice of Zubeida but I loved Pukar. In hindsight, this was a result of Pukar having more of a distinct South Indian touch. I was passionate about the South Indian touch in songs. I craved it so much that I preferred listening to Hindi songs that copied South Indian songs more Hindi originals themselves. I don’t know what attracted me towards them, maybe it was the soul and soporific factor as well the fact that more additional instruments, pads etc. were included. Or maybe it was the tone of the ragas.
In early 2000s Rahman Ji was focusing more on Hindi projects and his tracks were going throw the slow poison phase. At this time I started liking SELs (Shankar Ehsaan Loy) music as they delivered the nineties Rahman Ji sound. I started arguing with my brother that SEL are more melodious but he was very defensive of Rahman Ji then. It was 2003; Saathiya and The Legend of Bhagat Singh released. I used to listen to Mera Rang De Basanti every day before sleeping. At the same time I used to SELs Armaan on loop.
With the invention of the internet, life changed completely. I heard all my favourites in Tamil and Telugu respectively. It opened doors for me to other South Indian MDs.
During the initial days of me becoming an obsessed Rahmaniac. Don't get me wrong, I heard many songs of his up till then (Refer to above) but one day I thought, let's listen to sir's native songs. So I sat up at some silly time during the night downloading Rahman Ji's Tamil albums for hours and hours...
Once I shifted them to my iPod I heard some songs and others I forwarded naively. I forwarded certain songs like an idiot and then came the song that turned my life like a table lol (sorry for my lame idioms/metaphors)
The shakers and then the Signature humming of the song sent me somewhere else hehe The first interlude and the use of pizzicato aaah certainly divine. Basically, I can't explain how I felt as I'll be here all day and adjectives will be flowing from every angle.
I heard that song numerous times that night and I downloaded the Hindi dubbed version. For the first time I heard the Tamil version (Mel Isaiye from Mr. Romeo) before the Hindi and TBH I wasn't satisfied with the Hindi one due to repeated listening of the original. But the Hindi lyrics Mil Hi Gaye translates to I've met you and that day I realized I had truly met Rahman for the rest of my life.
During this time I also started experimenting with music. I had been influenced by Rahman ji’s diversity and I started appreciating his material that I naively ignored in the early 2000s now and also was going gaga over Rahman Ji’s power house vocals. I started listening to more and more genres and feel now I’ve become more defensive about Rahman ji compared to my brother.
I am so happy I went to his concert to in 2010, it was a dream come. There are two people whom I’ve always wanted to see and god has been really kind to me. One was Rahman Ji himself and the other one was Arnold Schwarzenegger.
To the pioneer of music Rahman Ji, have the best day and I pray that God showers you with more and more success. Not only have you delivered the best of the best but you've also made me and so many others change into better people. I and so many others simply can't thank and congratulate you enough and we are ever indebted to your love.
Love,
Sunil Malhotra