Watch | AR Rahman: ‘I asked Kamal Haasan to make a Hollywood film, just for the heck of it’

In this exclusive interview, composer-filmmaker A.R. Rahman talks to us about why Chennai will always remain home for him, what he learnt from the experiences of making ‘99 Songs’ and ‘Le Musk,’ the equation he shares with his children, and his wish for Kamal Haasan

It felt a bit surreal when pictures of AR Rahman and Kamal Haasan visiting the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles surfaced online last month; the two visionaries were immersed in checking out iconic moments from the Academy Awards over the years, including Rahman’s dual Oscar wins from 2009 before catching a screening of The Godfather.

“We visited the Chinese Theatre and watched Oppenheimer too. I invited him over for lunch after that,” recalls Rahman. “He is someone who comes from six generations of filmmaking, and hearing him talk and narrate stories is always fascinating to me. He still watches so many movies, remembers scenes and dialogues from them, and keeps pointing out trivia to me. Unlike him, I don’t have the patience anymore to finish every film!”

Rahman is composing for Kamal’s next directed by Mani Ratnam, which is set to be a collaboration for the ages. How has his equation with the Ulaganayagan evolved since he first composed for the actor in Indian (1996)?

“I feel like he got trapped in this industry over the years. It’s a good thing for us; but for him... I don’t know. 20 years ago, when he had the money, he should have just gone to Hollywood and made a film there. As an experiment perhaps, without worrying about success or failure. He can still do it actually. That’s what I told him now; to make an English film just for the heck of it and not be judgemental about it,” Rahman says lightly. 

At the moment though, he is not thinking about composing for Mani Ratnam or Kamal Haasan; ARR is busy rehearsing for his upcoming twin Marakkuma Nenjam concerts in Chennai and Coimbatore. The first of these two, in Chennai, is scheduled to be held this weekend on August 12.

“Now, concerts are needed more than ever. In this time and age, if you’re a singer with a particular quality, AI can analyse your voice, mix it and reproduce it. But when audiences come and see performers in the flesh, they notice a singer’s actual voice with all its imperfections and flaws; that really helps them connect. The interactive nature of it, the vibes, the energy… it’s more relevant now than ever before to support live music,” he avers.

Rahman adds that he is also constantly trying to reinvent concerts and make them more interesting: “I remember watching live acts from other cultures, and wondering why only our singers need books in front of them to perform. I was terrified to break such practices back then, but now we have come a long way.”