After setting
afire the imagination of the Tamil populace and the nation with his
mind-blowing compositions for 3 years,
1995 was the year when his first original Hindi score debuted aptly
titled Rangeela. The film was even marketed as
AR Rahman's first original Hindi score. And what a score
it was.
I still remember job-hunting in Mumbai on July-August 1995. I was roaming
the streets, walking rather right from VT
to Nariman Points...taking in the sights and sounds of Bombay. And never
did I fail to catch strains of "Rangeela Re..."
blaring out from some corner shop. Even in the markets of Kalyan and
Ulhasnagar, the Rangeela soundtrack seemed
to be the background score around which the movie of daily life seemed
to play. And in a Bombay Tour bus, I noticed the smiles that appeared
on passenger's faces when Rangeela played from the speakers
and some started to tap their feet.
Well, well..here I was experiencing first hand the effect of our
AR Rahman in the north !
Previously, this year had seen some fantastic Tamil hits like "Uyire,
Uyire", "Humma Humma" - both from the film
Bombay and "Odakaara Marimuthu" from the film
Indira.
1995 also was the year when AR Rahman's musical score
for his first Rajinikanth film - Muthu was released.
Incidentally, this film established Rajinikanth's market in Japan, the
music being a definite plus. The soundtracks of this film featured some
classic AR Rahman hooks and rhythms that still echo
in the memories of Tamil filmdom. The song "Thillana Thillana"
was lifted, music, sets, costumes et al into some Ajay Devgan starrer.
Though AR Rahman had consciously used a hook piece and
a rhythm from two western numbers for his Muthu soundtrack,
these were overshadowed by his highly unique and individualistic music
development into which these bits were included.
This is what set apart AR Rahman from other conventional
Indian film music composers. Mediocre film music composers blatantly
converted English and Arabic pop hits into their own vernacular versions.
The grossness and ugliness of the lift showing through to the discerning
listener.
AR Rahman on the other hand was from Advertising. A
field that relies on communicating the inherent strength of products
through the legal use of already existing symbols and motifs. He was
bold enough to do the same in film music with sound bits and rhythms
that had inspired him without letting that bit dictate the progression
of his musical composition - a vast difference which only audiophiles
and music lovers recognise.
EPILOGUE
AR Rahman's music has in sorts become the calendar of
my life.
If I hear or remember a certain song of his, it automatically takes
me back to the period of my life when I first heard the song. For example,
when I hear "July Maadham vandhaal" or "Netru
Illadha Maatram" from Pudhiya Mugam, it takes
me back to my college excursion in 1993 when the album was released
and we were all playing it in our portable recorders.
Rangeela brings me back memories of Bombay when I was job hunting.
Muthu reminds me of the period when I got my first big break
in an advertising agency in Chennai.
"Malargale Malargale" at once takes me back to the
days when I had this strong crush. What a background this song provided
when I was romancing the stone...(well she turned out to have a heart
of stone...but hey at least I loved and lost ;) !
I could go on and on.... but I know that I have to stop now. Thank you
for reading this far and I hope as a genuine music lover I have been
able to share a bit of what the AR Rahman magic is all
about.
-
Cosmician
|