A.R. Rahman Interview
In the masala of colors, sounds, and emotions that make up Danny Boyle’s exhilarating Slumdog Millionaire, one of the many elements that stand out in its exotic rush is the music of A.R. Rahman. For a score that takes place in a Mumbai where high-tech luxury clashes with age-old poverty, Rahman has composed an energetic blend of alt. rhythms, jubilant rock, and ancient Indian instrumental rhythms. He might be a new composer to the Boyle cannon, but Rahman’s work brilliantly captures the hip vibe of the director’s Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and Millions – films whose soundtracks were a mesmerizing, magical jam of score and songs.
Allah Rakha Rahman’s own melodic roots go back to his childhood in Madras. A musical prodigy from the age of four, Rahman’s musical travels would take him all over the world, accompanying both orchestras and such famed Indian musicians as Zakir Hussain. When it came to capturing a western groove, Rahman would study classical music at Oxford. Though his songs and commercial work afforded him superstar status in India, Rahman at first had no idea he’d find equal appreciation as a film composer. “I’m a fan of both orchestral music and completely modern stuff, and listen to composers like John Williams, Vangelis, Hans Zimmer, and Ennio Morricone,” he says. “When I watched those Hollywood movies growing up, I started picking the kind of music that I’d like to compose and the approaches I’d like to change. Soon I realized that if I put all of my ‘song’ ideas into film soundtracks, then I’d end up getting the best of both worlds.”
Raman’s numerous, and acclaimed Bollywood scores would include Roja, Rangeela, and Lagaan. Their melodically innovative music quickly drew western ears to his work, and Rahman soon proved himself in such non-Indian scoring arenas with the massive sea battle in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the Chinese epic Warriors of Heaven and Earth, and the stage musical of Lord of the Rings. It wasn’t long before Rahman’s blend of East and West attracted Danny Boyle to his work. “I’d heard about Danny Boyle’s use of music, but I didn’t know what to expect,” Rahman says. “I found out that Slumdog Millionaire was mostly temped with my music, and my work on the film quickly turned from doing a couple of songs to creating nearly the whole soundtrack.”
Rahman used Boyle’s song-score approach as a way to break new ground in Indian film music. “There’s a lot of musicality to our culture, but due to some traditional conventions, the music hasn’t been exploited to its full extent. In this film, I tried to do that. An example of which was taking the same four-bar Sitar groove to create ‘Indian’ music that could play in my country, but also reach far beyond it emotionally. Danny always wanted the score to heighten the fantasy and feelings like that, so whenever something unbearable is happening, the music breaks the tension, which is an amazing thing.”
Rahman would also find himself somewhat identifying with the Slumdog hero who’s put under the glaring spotlights of an Indian quiz show, as the composer had appeared as a judge on the hugely popular Indian music competition show, Mission Ustad. “All of these kids appeared in front of me and they knew every note of every song, so music is definitely a major part in the life of every social class. They were like the film’s Indian kids who didn’t know who Gandhi was but recognized an American dollar instantly.”
Now, with the wave of Slumdog acclaim taking several of its Indian participants into the Hollywood spotlight and landing Rahman an Oscar nomination, the composer looks forward to a bigger presence in the LA scoring scene. “There are so many styles and instruments for me to explore. Danny knew my work, which is the reason I think the music in Slumdog Millionaire turned out so well. If I do a Hollywood film, I’d love to work with someone who knows my music and respects me for who I am, and I’ll give them my full cooperation to create a masterpiece.”
Special thanks to Nancy Bishop and Venice Magazine.
