Finally........

Cleared my qualifiers on July 12th, 2006.

ufffffffffff!!

Interview: Sound of Rahman

He is considered India's most respected musicians. He has been credited with giving Indian film music a global, a more original, more unique sound. He is also one of the highest selling artists in the world, having sold more than 50 million albums in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and English. He has also made a very successful crossover to the West, while his roots, his first love, continues to be Indian music. He is A R Rahman.

In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN's Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand, A R Rahman talks about Rang De Basanti, his music and some of his outstanding works.

Rajeev Masand:

The most obvious question first: Where did the dreadlocks go?

A R Rahman:

I went for Haj, so I had to get them off. Or you can say, to washed my sins, I got my hair chopped off.

Rajeev Masand:

That was your most marked characteristic. Do you miss them?

A R Rahman:

I know, but my wife likes me better now.

Rajeev Masand:

Rang De Basanti, your most recent work, is a film which really marked a milestone. Isn't it? Apart from the fact that it has great music and it's a great album, it is one of those rare soundtracks where the theme is blended perfectly with the music. Your earlier work Bombay and Taal were also examples of that. Do you agree?

A R Rahman:

Yes, I think so. The process with Rang De Basanti started when Rakeysh (Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, the film's director) told me the story, which had freedom fighters in it. I was working on Legend of Bhagat Singh with Santoshji at that time. So, I said that I would not do another film like this. Of course Rang De Basanti happened four years later.

When I started on this film last year, what we decided to do was not to have anything which is preachy and going to bring people down. We wanted to go abstract and go counter-point, like people and children are dying there and we have a happy soundtrack, which is Ru Ba Ru and going to the light and there is more positivity rather than going along with the film.

In fact, everything is in opposites -- like the song Khalbali, which has the word 'ziddi (stubborn)', and it came because of the tune. And then the way after the song was recorded, which Rakeysh used in the film, when Bhagat Singh refuses to take any food and becomes ' ziddi'. Now that is the stroke of a genius. And that's how things should be done, more interactively, not by having a per se idea and defining it. If you want to break and go on to the next level, you need to take a chance. Sometimes, it works out this way. And in this film, it all worked out, I guess.

Rajeev Masand:

One of my favourite songs in Rang De Basanti soundtrack is Lukka Chhupi. I have read a fair bit of criticism about the song, largely perhaps because it is a collaboration with Lata Mangeshkar. I could be wrong, but I guess the reason should have been Lata Mangeshkar. The song is really a mother's call and a mother's song.

A R Rahman:

See, the song was not designed to be in the film at all. I was doing the film and I was doing Ru Ba Ru and Khalbali and Pathshaala. I felt it was all upbeat and modern. What was the film about? It is about a call of a mother. It is how the characters in the film change. I was actually hearing a song from Born On The Fourth Of July soundtrack and there is a song, which goes this way: 'Where have you been my blue-eyed son'.

I thought why not do a similar song for the film. It is very abstract, it takes the inner feeling of the film into a soundtrack. So I was telling Zaria, and Rakeysh was saying, "Mmm... OK." And Prasoon, of course, said it won't work. We then came up with Lukka Chhupi. I said why don't we have an answer for the mother who calls. And in a way, I was trying to do a duet with Lata Mangeshkar, which I had wanted to do for a long time, because whenever I had approached, it never happened. The plan got cancelled for almost six times, until it finally happened.

So, in which scene will this song fit in is the next question, right? When we tried to spot the scenes, it fitted exactly with Waheedaji and the death. But then the reverberation of the song is within the film and outside the film also. So, I feel doing a song is taking me from the cliché' of situation which films have. And working outside it and then fitting it in. So all these things fitted in.

Rajeev Masand:

You have just signed up as world ambassador for World Space. This is not the first time that you have endorsed a brand. How long does it take or how do you decide as to what is it that you want to get attached to and don't ?

A R Rahman:

I probably was the first one to get the radio of World Space. I just wanted to check it out first. I was really impressed with the variety and the manner World Space had put up their advertisements. I did not know that here was a policy of not having any hassle in it, which is brilliant. I remember 20 years back, I used to go all the way to Bangalore to pick up my favourite music, and here we have everything on the touch-move-button --jazz, classical, pop. So when they ask me, I said: "Yes, let's do it!"

Rajeev Masand:

You were in Toronto recently for the opening of the Lord Of The Rings musical. Tell me, was that a daunting task, for doing a score for that? Especially, because the comparisons between the musical and Lord Of The Rings film series were almost inevitable and especially because those films have gone on to become cult films.

A R Rahman:

I think people very well know what is possible on stage and what is not. In films, you can add a lot of special effects and get away with. But to do something like this on stage is an incredible task. We have to give it to them the way they produce it and direct it and how they have put up this whole thing. It was a big gamble and they have succeeded in it. And being a part of it is a nice feeling.

Rajeev Masand:

You have composed music for a musical before, including Bombay Dreams. Was Bombay Dreams perhaps a little easier, especially because you were familiar with the milieu. It was a story of a boy who wants to become an actor in Bollywood?

A R Rahman:

One more thing is Bombay Dreams is a musical, which was written around the music of life. So we already knew that Ayesha was going to be in it. Taal's music was going to be in it. The music was written around it. But here it was vice-versa, we have script and the successful movies and they said do not derive inspiration from the movies. No music should come out of the movie, but it should be original from the book. So this is more difficult, this is really difficult. And I worked with Bartana, who is from Finland. Ultimately, when the music was put together, you could only see the scene and the episode there and get excited rather than trying to research which music is whose and cannot find that out.

Rajeev Masand:

Your music is quite a rage among Chinese filmmakers. Your score in Warriors of Heaven and Earth became immensely popular. You have apparently been getting lots of offers from Chinese filmmakers. Is that true?

A R Rahman:

Yes, there were a couple of offers which came in, but then I was busy on this side.

Rajeev Masand:

Is it difficult doing a Chinese score? What's the challenge there?

A R Rahman:

The challenge for me was not just doing a Chinese film. It was about the Silk Route, the Turkish and the Russian influence, and all those stuff. Working of the film was really good. For the first time, I got to work with the Prague Orchestra and the orchestral experience was really something.

Rajeev Masand:

Which you used again in Mangal Pandey…

A R Rahman:

Yes.

Rajeev Masand:

If I ask you to pick your most under-rated film score out of 1947 Earth, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Bose... which one do you think had the most under-rated score which could have perhaps done well, but didn't ?

A R Rahman:

I want every film score I do to do well. But some don't, because there are a lot of actors involved. Yet, it adds to the repertoire because someday people might listen to it in a different frame of mind. Like when I did Mani Ratnam's Iruvar, I literally had a person asking me why did I do a score which looked so old-fashioned. He didn't know that it was a period film. There are so many elements and when people come to know about them, then after a year they buy the same music.

Rajeev Masand:

You are dodging the question. Which is that one score that you were disappointed with, perhaps because of its failure?

A R Rahman:

Yes, sometimes you get disappointed, but then its not just you, it's the entire team that gets disappointed because it did not succeed. Bose, I know that most people wouldn't have listened to it at all. Most people won't be having a cassette or a CD of it. I hope it gets released soon as I have heard it was finally getting released some time (soon). I hope that gets done.

Rajeev Masand:

Have you ever been embarrassed by the way a song has been filmed?

A R Rahman:

Yes, a lot of times. But, I guess the people are intelligent enough now to know all that, what is personal and what is not, and what is done for the movie.

Rajeev Masand:

You won't take any names?

A R Rahman:

No.

Rajeev Masand:

We know that Mani Ratnam has been an influence and a mentor. While you were doing ad films, he offered you Roja and most of your best work has been with him. Tell us as to what kind of relationship do you share with him. Is it something apart from just the director-composer relationship? Are you two friends? Do you hang out outside the studio?

A R Rahman:

We don't hang out much (laughs). What is really a relationship? A relationship means the first good experiences, like first love and you always remember that. He picked up the best out of my work and said, "This is you." He was the first one who gave me a good work. For us, it's been a challenge to cross each thing from Bombay to Iruvar. Whenever we sit, we don't talk about old things, rather we try sharing a new frequency to create the same magic again.

Rajeev Masand:

Your score for Roja was ranked by the Time magazine as one of the 10 best scores in the world. How do you look back at it now, since so many years have passed since Roja? Is that flattering?

A R Rahman:

Yes, it's quite flattering. It's a small world, isn't it? You see Inside Man using Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan, Lord of War using Bombay theme.

Rajeev Masand:

Do you think Roja is your best work?

A R Rahman:

It's probably my first good work. Like I said about Mani Ratnam, who gave me my first good work. It brings back all those memories. It gave me the urge to go further and maintain quality work, crossing over to the North Indian audience with the film, lyrics which were never imagined before.

Rajeev Masand:

Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan is one song that you've always been remembered for. People continue to love this one song. It was used in Bombay Dreams, in Hollywood films, Spike Lee's Inside Man… Do you ever feel like telling people to get over with it and look at your new work? Do you ever feel that it is a like a double-edged sword?

A R Rahman:

It was very strange how Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan was done. I wanted a Punjabi singer for Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan, while I had Nusrat's voice in my head. I asked my friend Brijbhushan in Bombay if he knew anybody like that. He suggested me three names. Finally he said 'Mr Singh' will be coming in.

I had expected somebody with a turban . That's when Sukhwinder Singh landed in Chennai. He was working on Govind Nihlani's Thakshak and I asked him if he knew any Sufi lyrics because his voice has that Sufi touch. He said, "Yes, I know this." We went to a room and then did Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan. It was lying there for one year. I wanted to use it for my album Vande Mataram, but it didn't fit in. Then Mani asked me if I had a tune for his next film. I said something is ready and he immediately liked it. Then Gulzar sahib wrote the lyrics. It was first Thaiyan Thaiyan and then it was changed to Chhaiyyan Chhaiyyan. At that time, I realised that it had the potential. The intention of doing this song was not to make it into a film song. It had that Sufi aspect.

Rajeev Masand:

Gulzar sahib once said, "A R Rahman's greatest achievement is that he didn't mess around with my lyrics." Is that something you like to elaborate on?

A R Rahman:

Yes, I do. And where is the need to mess around with the lyrics when somebody writes them so perfectly?

Rajeev Masand:

You have often confessed that you are not so familiar with Hindi.

A R Rahman:

(Laughs) Yes, I can't talk but my vocabulary is better than what it used to be. I have been learning Urdu. I can't talk but I can read now and I can understand most of the vocabulary. The thing about words, certain words give you a sound and meaning, if you get the right kind of balance, the song becomes a hit and everybody takes pride in it.

Rajeev Masand:

So many actors, especially in Hindi films, have been singing their own songs and you have said that it is good for actors to know how to sing so that they can act as if they are singing themselves.

A R Rahman:

Yes, like in the West, actors never practise to use someone else's voice. Nicole Kidman used her own voice in Moulin Rouge. I think that should happen in India too. It will be good if actors learn music because it will make our industry more credible. It will be good if these things could happen simultaneously.

Rajeev Masand:

Let me put you in a tough situation. What do you think of Aamir, Shah Rukh or Amitabh, who've been singing their own songs? What do you think of them as singers?

A R Rahman:

I think they are intelligent enough to choose songs, which go along their own voice. You can't expect classical songs being sung by kind of actors like Shah Rukh. They don't want to torture people like that.

Rajeev Masand:

You said some of your songs were composed in two days while some of them took up to 45 days. How do you know when a song is ready?

A R Rahman:

It's based on one's instinct. Sometimes, when you overwork on something you go back and sometimes abruptness is the best.

Rajeev Masand:

Over the years, you've sung many songs yourself. Like, Ye jo des hai mera, in Swades, Chale Chalo from Lagaan, or Ru Ba Ru from Rang De Basanti. How do you know when a song requires your own voice?

A R Rahman:

Sometimes I've worked from the scratch using my own voice. Like in Dil Se, Mani said why don't you sing it in your own voice. Or when I did Ye Jo Des…Ashutosh Gowarikar suggested that I should be singing this song. Initially, I was supposed to sing Ek Taara but it didn't match Shah Rukh's voice.

Rajeev Masand:

Has it ever happened that you recorded a song in your voice and the director told you that someone could have sung this better? Sukhwinder Singh or Shankar Mahadevan? Has it ever happened to you?

A R Rahman:

I would be the first one to suggest such a thing (laughs). The last thing I want to do is put my voice in a song. There are so many lovely singers out there and I would love to get their contribution in my music.

Rajeev Masand:

You daughters are learning music as well. In fact, they are on the soundtrack of Mangal Pandey...

A R Rahman:

They are getting trained, but they have not been singing so much. It's just to give them a choice that they can take up music if they want to.

Rajeev Masand:

So in many ways, it's like a legacy you want to give them.

A R Rahman:

Yes. That's true.

Rajeev Masand:

Talking about Mangal Pandey, apparently you've still not been paid entirely for your work in the film. Does that upset you since the actor and the producer of the film have gone on record saying that the movie was highly successful. Not only did they recover the entire investment in the first week, but that they made a lot of money.

A R Rahman:

That's a very delicate question. Mr Bedi came the day an article on it was published. He promised me that everything will be settled sometime in July. I didn't want to go the legal way. He is a nice man and I trust his word. Besides, everybody has been watching everything. All these things were not intentional I guess.

Rajeev Masand:

Please tell us what do you like to do when you are not working? What kind of a husband are you? What kind of a father are you?

A R Rahman:

Good question (laughs). I think you should be asking this to my wife and children. My mother, my kids are very supportive of me. They always know what I'm going through. I also try to play my role as best as I can within the limitations of my schedule.

BNL Photos

At 106, she still cares about India

April 05, 2006

Burdened with so many preconceived notions about the elderly, I didn't expect a 106-year old lady to walk briskly towards me, speak in a strong voice (that too in five languages), hear very clearly and remember things that happened a century ago. How wrong and foolish I felt after meeting Saraswathy Ramaswamy, freedom fighter and Gandhian.

As I waited for her in the lobby of Vishranthi, an old age home for women, she came rushing towards me with folded hands. Holding my hands close to her cheeks, she said in English, "Thank you for coming, Sir (she calls everyone Sir). I look forward to speaking with you."

Then, sitting in the front yard, under the shade of all kinds of trees, she began to rewind the clock.

January 1, 1900

A little girl was born to a young couple in Secunderabad. Distraught on seeing a female first born, the young man's sister ordered the baby to be thrown into the Hussain Sagar. She was promptly wrapped in a silk cloth and thrown into the water.

Fate had other plans for the baby though.

The midwife who delivered her happened to see the bundle floating in the river while she was washing clothes. Horrified, she took the baby back to the young mother, who was sobbing uncontrollably.

The child was named Saraswathy, and the astrologer who read her horoscope said she would live long and become famous!

"God didn't want me to die that easily," Saraswathy Amma laughed loudly. "Death came close several times, but I survived. A couple of years ago, a tree fell on my house and me. But here I am!"

At the age of 7, two major events occurred in her life. She began going to school, and she was married to a 12-year-old boy named Ramaswamy. She stayed with her parents until she completed her Bachelors degree though, travelling across India. "I was sent to my husband's house when I attained puberty at 18. It was the custom."

Joining her husband was an unexpected turning point in her life. The young Ramaswamy was so drawn to Mahatma Gandhi's call for freedom that he chucked his job as an assistant postmaster and decided to devote his life to his country.

"I was not sad when my husband left the job and gave his property to the Congress. I was proud to be part of a big struggle. If not for him, I would have remained in one place and, like all women, would have thought of my own family alone. But my husband made me believe my country is bigger than everything else in life."

When Gandhi came with his wife Kasturba to Nagpur, where Saraswathy then lived, she went with her friends to meet them. "I asked Kasturba what I could do for the country. She asked me if I knew how to use a charkha. I said I didn't. After teaching me, she told me to spread the knowledge to others."

Following Kasturba's instructions, Ramaswamy and his wife packed their bags and moved to the Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. There, Saraswathy taught students to spin and also took tuitions, while her husband organised meetings. Over the next five years, she taught English, Tamil and mathematics to at least 500 children.

The Salt Satyagraha and the Dandi March, 1930

Saraswathy and Ramaswamy could not stay put in Pondicherry when Gandhi urged the country to march to Dandi. They went along. "We were separated. I sat there waiting for my husband for a long time, but he didn't come. When I saw a police constable, I asked him to help me find my husband. When he refused, I shouted, 'Mahatma Gandhi ki jai' three times and walked away. He then told me that a lot of people had been arrested and that my husband could have been one of them. Indeed, he was.

After the Dandi March, the couple decided not to go back to South India. Saraswathy also remembers their involvement in the Quit India movement of 1942.

If August 15, 1947 was a day of joy for all of them, January 30, 1948 was a day she still mourns. Not only because Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated, but because she lost her husband and three sons in the riots that followed. Her husband was shot at; her children, crushed to death.

She was in Mysore to give birth to her fourth child. On hearing the news, she rushed to identify the bodies of her loved ones. Shortly thereafter, she lost her daughter to chickenpox. "I lost my family for the sake of my country. I shouldn't be crying," she says. "And yet, the tears rolled down my cheeks constantly. Those were the only times in my life when I cried aloud and accused God of being unfair to me."

She wandered around in Mumbai, Jabalpur and across Maharashtra, went to all government offices asking for a job. Everywhere she went, she was asked about certificates, but she had nothing except the one sari she wore. Those were the darkest days of her life. She was hungry, with no proper clothes and no place to stay. But she was sure about one thing -- she would not go to a Congress office and ask for money.

"My self-respect comes before everything else. I was ready to take tuitions for just Re 1."

She felt hopeful when she met a Christian teacher in Bombay. "He told me, mother, you look as if you come from a good family. Why are you roaming around like this?' I told him, with tears in my eyes, that I wanted a job. I want to teach children and live a respectable life. Taking pity on her, the teacher arranged for her journey to Madurai where he worked, and from there to Pattukottai in Tamil Nadu.

From 1949 to 2004, she made Pattukottai her home, teaching children until she reached the age of 104. She was sure about one thing though: she would never go to the government for pension or any such concessions. That was like begging for her.

Every year, on August 15, she would hoist the national flag and distribute sweets.

When her health deteriorated, and there was nobody to take care of her, the people of Pattukottai brought her to Vishranthi. "I resisted coming here because Pattukottai was my home since 1950! After coming here a year and a half ago, I was sad because I had nothing to do. But then, Madam (Savithri Vaithi who runs Vishranthi) told me to be happy. Now, I am."

It was only after coming here that her contribution towards making India independent was made known to the outside world.

"I love talking to people like you about what we went through. I spoke on television and on the radio. The only problem I face now is I can't sing loudly."

Saraswathy's day is never complete without her going through various newspapers. "I can't live without knowing what's happening in my country. I can only read about it now. The days of being part of the happenings are over for me."

But what she reads these days doesn't make her happy at all. What shocked her most was politicians distributing money for votes. "The first time somebody from the Congress came to me with money, I shouted at him and asked if he knew who he was offering the money to. He lost the elections!" she chuckles.

"I don't like this corrupt India. This is not the India we dreamt of, the India we sacrificed our lives for. It pains me to see corruption everywhere. But I must say there are so many loving, selfless and affectionate people in our country! It is only politicians who are selfish.'

A R Rahman's Interview: Times of India

Unarguably India's best music composer today, AR Rahman is back in the hot seat with his score in Rang De Basanti. Jitesh Pillaai exchanges notes with the maverick musician TIMES NEWS NETWORK


He's pushing 40, going on 25. His chocolate mousse voice gently glides through the room. A bit like his entire demeanour. "Sorry for the delay, just have a lot of things to catch up on," he apologises as I grab a few minutes with the man who is unarguably India's best music composer today, on what is yet another whirlwind stopover for him. His current topnotcher, Rang De Basanti, has yet again perked up the stagnant genre monopolised by the nasalcrooning variety of musicians.

But that's another story. There's yet another apocryphal tale which bears repetition. At the height of the film industry strike in Chennai about five years ago, his mentor, Mani Ratnam, was waiting for the music wiz to complete the soundtrack of Alay Payuthe. Ratnam is reported to have deadpanned, "I can either handle the strike or Rahman. Not both simultaneously, please."

That then is the magic of Allah Rakha Rahman. Another industry joke that's often pulled is that after God, Rahman is the greatest leveller. Be it Mani Ratnam, Shyam Benegal, Ashutosh Gowariker or Shankar, they all wait for him. Time no bar. Music bar bar. You've heard the story about him playing the piano when he was all of four. Years later, after rigorously dabbling in the world of 30-second jingles and moonlighting as a musician with composer Illayaraja, he was ready to fly solo and test his métier. Came Roja in 1993. Rahman smiles, "The songs were composed in a small room. I kept thinking that people would hate the music. By the grace of God, it was liked so much that I even went on to win my first National Award for the film."

About Ratnam, Rahman says that he just allows him to do whatever he wishes and then chooses the best. Rahman recalls, "Even when we were composing Jiya jale in Dil Se, I felt a lot of Mallu 'Moplah' tunes coming into my head, Mani said, 'no problem, I'll change my character (Preity Zinta) into a Malayalee girl' and it all sort of fell into place."

It all also fell into place with Rang De Basanti circa 2005. When Rakeysh Mehra greenlighted the film about two years ago, Rahman had given him a scratch tune. When Mehra started the film, he was stuck for a background tune in the climax, miraculously, the tune which Rahman had composed earlier became the leitmotif. Just like that. Rahman smiles that gentle smile of his, "Mehra is a lot like Mani. He just lets me do my own thing. When I composed Paathshala with words like 'lose control', I thought he'd change it into Hindi. But Mehra stuck to it, saying that the only time his assistant came into his room was when he played that tune. So obviously he was sticking to the vibe." When Rahman composes, synthesisers meld into guitars, the dholaks blend with the keyboards. Fusing the music of different traditions, Rahman straddles the world of Bach and Carnatic music with easy facility. Among his oeuvre, his personal favourites include Roja, Muthu, Lagaan, Dil Se and Taal. But it was also the musical cadences of Gentleman, Kaadhalan, Rangeela, Thiruda Thiruda, Kandukondain Kandukondain and Alay Payuthe that burned up the barcodes in music stores. Born a Hindu, AS Dilip Kumar converted to Islam and the AR Rahman moniker a decade ago, his music is inspired by Sufi mysticism. It's reported that after all the hard times after his father's death, Rahman and his family found solace in Karimullah Shah Kadiri, a Sufi spiritual healer.

Reportedly, he's sold more than 100 million albums, won scores of Filmfare and National awards. His success prompts him to stay connected to his God. "Your faith keeps you focused. You never grow big by putting other people down," he sallies. Talk again veers to the drubbing of Mangal Pandey,when it was loudly asserted that Rahman had lost his touch. He is unequivocal, "I did my best. Maybe, it was too folksy, too much of in-your-face patriotism…"

But in a capricious industry dictated by the ticket windows, all's well after Rang De Basanti. The self-effacing composer tells me that he's just read a signboard outside a church in Bandra, Mumbai. He says casually, "It says, 'If you start judging people, you won't have time to love'. That's so true, the mind then loses its serenity, its naivete. I think to compose you need to have a purity of being. I also try to find that purity in music. Just before I compose, I'm a total mess, I don't know if I'm coming or going. And then through some divine intervention, it all falls into place. I guess you should just move lightly through life, carry no excess baggage at all."

He should know. Apart from the Padma Shri and collaborations with artistes like the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Peter Gabriel, he still travels light. His music for Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Bombay Dreams and the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and Earth won him plaudits. He's also wrapped up the stage version of Tolkien's The Lord of The Rings, which opened in London to great reviews. He says, "For Bombay Dreams, they wove the story around my music, but for LOTR, I had to integrate the music with the story. For the Warriors, it was great to work with the live Symphony Orchestra. I didn't mercifully have to rely on my keyboard. Isn't it strange that India, with such diverse cultures, so many states, so many musicians of the highest calibre doesn't have a single national orchestra?"

So what of the charges that he doesn't understand the Hindi idiom too well? "Maybe you should ask the lyricists I've worked with. I love Urdu poetry, I understand Hindi, but I don't speak it too well. I tend to confuse the genders while speaking. That gives me a rawness that some people find appealing. For example, I keep saying Na koi padhnewaala in the Paathshala song. I don't say na koi padhnewaali. No one noticed, fortunately it worked," he smiles.

Of the current songs other than his own, Rahman picks out Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's Jiya dhadak dhadak (Kalyug), Vishal Shekhar's Allah Ke Bande (Waisa Bhi Hota Hai - pt 2), Dus bahane (Dus) and Shankar- Ehsaan-Loy's Har ghadi (Kal Ho Naa Ho).

But for the moment, life as he knows it, is a happy blend of the spiritual and the family man. He loves spending time with his daughters Khatija, 11, and Rafia, 8. Is he a good father? He smiles, "I try to be." Does he take up their homework? He laughs, "No, I don't do that." And is he a good husband to his wife, Saira? "I try to be that too," he dimples.

He gently taps on the mahogany table. The minutes have beguiled into a full blown hour. As he glides out of the room, I can hear the chocolate mousse vocals trail softly. And I can see that there's really no excess baggage.

South Africa hit world record to beat Australia

South Africa hit a world record 438 for nine in the highest-scoring one-day international in history to beat Australia by one wicket and win the series 3-2 on Sunday.

Scorecard

In the most extraordinary one-dayer ever, the home side's victory was achieved with one ball to spare and sparked wild celebrations on and off the Wanderers pitch.

Before Sunday, no side had scored more than 400 in a one-day international and South Africa's total topped Australia's record 434 for four earlier in the day.

Two players, Australian captain Ricky Ponting (164) and South African Herschelle Gibbs (175), scored over 150 in the fifth one-dayer.

A total of 872 runs were scored. The previous record was 693 when India beat Pakistan by five runs in Karachi in March 2004.

The previous innings record was the 398 for five Sri Lanka scored against Kenya in Kandy in 1995-96.

World champions Australia had been 2-0 down in the series, suffering a record 196-run loss in the second match, before drawing level at 2-2.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Ponting reached his century off 73 balls. In all he faced 105 deliveries, hitting 13 fours and nine sixes.

Gibbs then kept the home side up with the required scoring rate by blazing 175, including seven sixes, off 111 balls. Captain Graeme Smith also scored 90, putting on 187 for the second wicket with Gibbs.

Gibbs's was the second highest score by a South African after Gary Kirsten's 188 not out against the United Arab Emirates at the 1996 World Cup.

Ponting is the first Australian to reach 9,000 runs in one-day internationals and his innings was the third highest by an Australian.

The two batsmen were jointly awarded man of the match but Ponting declined it, saying Gibbs deserved the honour alone.

Interview with Ram Gopal Varma

Ram Gopal Varma has rarely worked with the big stars. But now, the director appears to be changing his style, considering his next film will feature Shah Rukh Khan. He tells Subhash K Jha more about that decision. Excerpts:

A film with Shah Rukh?

Yes, finally! We've been discussing projects for years and are doing this in the second half of 2006. But I want to make a film that will project Shah Rukh's potential as a star rather than his capabilities as an actor. I want to tap what Shah Rukh is loved for -- his stardom. And I want to do it my way.

Why have you chosen to stay away from the media lately?

I haven't done so consciously. I have to have something to talk to about. During the last three months, I was completely engrossed in directing Shiva. It wasn't a conscious decision to stay away. I don't want to answer questions about my favourite food or holiday spot.

What is your favourite food and holiday spot?

Next question, please.

Will Shiva be like just another RGV film that comes and goes?

I don't think I make any film that just comes and goes. One reason I've kept silent is I wanted to steer clear of the confusion about whether Shiva was a remake of my first Hindi film Shiva, or James. The whole idea of making James was to make an action film in the style of the 1970s and 80s. It was meant to be a contemporary Shiva. By the time it came out, it was nothing like what it was planned to be. My new Shiva is a remake of my old one, but in a way that James was meant to be.

Shiva, which was out in the 1970s, was about one man's fight against campus violence. To me, that appeared outdated. In this Shiva, Mohit Ahlawat plays a cop just out of the police academy, faced with a harsh reality he isn't prepared for.

Do you have the same cast as James?

Yes, but they aren't playing the same characters. Why would I do something so stupid? I had tremendous faith in the original cast and crew of James. Just because the film didn't work doesn't mean I have to change my convictions and beliefs. I don't judge potential by Fridays. Mohit Ahlawat remains a talented actor, regardless of whether James worked or not.

You decided to do Shiva quite suddenly. Didn't that affect your other plans?

Not really. I only go from film to film. I was supposed to start Sholay, but Mr Bachchan's unexpected illness put a brake on that. In any case, Sholay was not supposed to start before July 2006. So I did have the time to squeeze in a film.

Your experiences with your films, assistants and associates haven't been too rewarding lately…

They aren't to blame. As the decision maker, the final responsibility rests with me. People don't understand the mechanics of making a film. They feel an assistant is responsible for a flop. But, for all practical purposes, I am equally responsible, if not more.

Then there's ingratitude. You had to deal with a lot of that lately.

What do you mean? I don't believe in gratitude. I don't work with anyone out of a sense of charity. I use people as long as they are useful to me.

What about Antara Mali? She said she felt bound by her commitment to your company.

I don't think she said that. She said she decided to move away from the Factory. I don't know what she meant. She was never under any contract to act in or make a number of films. She was free to go anywhere.

You are hiding your disappointment under practical cynicism. I have seen your protégés -- from Manoj Bajpai to Antara Mali -- move away.

That's your reading. And you're wrong. It's a free country. Everyone is entitled to do what they want. It could be that some of these people had unpleasant experiences with me, or they may not have liked my style of functioning. They had every right to move away. No one is bound to stay with the Factory. I will go as far as to say that they were all right. I was wrong.

In what way?

They fulfilled my expectations of them, but I couldn't live up to their expectations. It's not like I played host to them at a dinner. I didn't serve up a meal to satisfy their appetites. I did it for myself. I had a personal agenda. I work with them for my own selfish reasons.

Who but you would have given Antara Mali a chance to direct a film so early in her career?

Why go into specifics? I don't think anyone in my Factory was doing her a favour. Everyone needs a chance to prove him or herself. What about me? What if Nagarjuna hadn't trusted me with directing him in Shiva? It was a super hit. My second film was a disaster. If I knew how to make a hit film, why would I make flops? You have to trust people to deliver. Even if they don't, it doesn't mean you stop trusting people.

You need to keep discovering new talent because the old keeps moving away from you.

I don't think it is to do with the old and new. I give people a break when I see that enthusiasm and passion in someone. I cash in on those qualities. After a while, they don't remain the same. They want to move on, whatever the reason.

Your next production Darna Zaroori Hai is around the corner…

In March. There are seven episodes, each directed by different people. Sajid Khan has directed the prologue -- the beginning title sequences. Then there's Sarkar writer Manish Gupta, me directing Mr Bachchan and Riteish Deshmukh, G G Philips (of My Wife's Murder), Prabal Raman (of Gayab) and a new director called Vivek Shah, followed by Chekrvarthy.

How is it different from Darna Manaa Hai?

I felt the stories were not evenly put together earlier. The genre and concept was new and we couldn't make all the stories engaging. People ask me why I made Darnaa Zaroori Hai when Darna Manaa Hai didn't work. Just because love stories don't work, you don't stop making them. I have kept the old mistakes in mind. I might have made fresh mistakes, but not old ones. I never repeat mistakes.

Except trusting new talent…

There you go again. My intention was never for them to be grateful as I am not a grateful person myself. It's a stupid emotion. Let me tell you, I have too much happening in my life and career to bother about such things. I have quite a few assistants working on projects – 20 films by 20 assistants by the end of the next year. If you decide to make a film, I'll make you the 21st director.

Now back on track!

Its been nearly two weeks since I came back from India. After 19 hours of journey from Hyderabad-Frankfurt-New York, it was back to work and vicious circle for me.

Its really great feeling to spend time back home. There were many friends who envied my 40-day trip. And why not? If get a chance for an eventful vacation like my brother's wedding, make sure you spend more time.

Now I'm writing reports for a course, also prepare for a journal club and then focus on my thesis. I know it would be fun!

Back to Pavillion

Right now I am writing a project report on 'Sealed Sources - leak tests and its evaluation' . After that I have to prepare a power point presentation of the same report. I have already completed the other reports for this Medical Health Physics Course.

After that, I'll pack my clothes and other things and go to Hyderabad. No doubt will have a bash there. And will enjoy making home videos and taking photos. WIll come back on Jan 4, but that is too far a day to think about.

Bye bye!!

Rahman's music

Music is a great healer I guess. Atleast, it works for me. Nowadays, most of them hear to some or other kind of music to keep themselves relaxed. I keep myself occupied by closing my eyes and listen to the rejuvenating music of A.R. Rahman.

There are always some sounds that pull your heartstrings and remain close to you. These sounds are usually well tuned in a song by Rahman, which makes one to listen to them repeatedly. You see a lot of hardwork put in each song. No carelessness, no lack of dedication. But simply splendid delivery of tunes. Also, one thing that should be noted is that, even the singers sing pretty well and give their best in Rahman's songs.

One needs to draw inspiration from him and learn the art of concentration and dedication to one's work. He's a remarkable genius!

Quik Trak Kiosk!!

Me so happy. Me a little tired past couple of weeks. Me having a lot of work and a lot to prepare. Me always crib about things as usual. So me back to square one.

Had good time at Baltimore. Everything is splendid and pompous. I had little time to spend but the time spent was worth for the day. But it was a lonely affair. Going to Stony Brook LIRR alone to New york. In the train alone, in the hotel alone, walking around alone, presenting the poster alone and coming back alone. I think that day I spoke only few words, that too to myself. But thats ok, once in a while one should love oneself to be alone and experience how it would be.

So BMES Conference is over. Now more on the other presentations for the BME 540 course and then work in the lab. It was a failure in the past 2 experiments. So a lot to do.

On other note, I can blabber on something I like as always. Rahman is a genius!! Nobody will understand that. Well he creates magic and personally heals me from all the stress I may have. So me back to listening music now.......................................

Mu sick!

I have been reading a lot about lifting of tunes from Pakistan music in Bollywood. Definitely its a shame. The first thing that comes to the mind of any average music lover about the copy cat of music in Bollywood would be none other than Anu Malik (Annu Mallik, Anu Maalik....whatever, he's been trying to change his name and luck recently).

How many people remember him for getting a national award for the movie, Refugee?? In fact, it became a joke! Doing original stuff is next to impossible for him. But he actually inspires me a lot. Simply because, even I can also do what he does. I cannot be a Kamal Hassan or a Mani ratnam or Saching Tendulkar or A.R. Rahman (definitely not!).........but I can be a Anu Malik. Its very easy to become 'him'.

About other sane things, I think Wikipedia is a good source of finding things that one is looking for. I was just surfing few sites and when it comes to music, it will be Rahman first and other things later. Well, I have liked what our President has commented on ARR's music:

"A.R. RAHMAN may be a Muslim but his voice echoes in the soul of all Indians, of whatever faith, when he sings Vande Mataram."

This was in the Rahmania site. Such a great man he is....lots of inspiration for me atleast. Now a recent addition in the same mentioned site is that the background music of ARR's Swades is composed as a song in the new movie, Salaam Namaste.

Forget about these petty things. If one asks, did Rahman lifted a tune in the past?? Well, few say yes because, they hear the same sound or beat in some of his movies. But.......just wait there...and ponder..........

One is just hearing the beats being lifted, not the tune. See, again its the limited use of the loops and samples that he uses and not the tunes that he creates by himself. When a person reaches to his professional high, there will be many people to pull him down. The work of these people is just that, 'to pull somebody down'. Because, that the best they could do.

Nowadays, its more like a tom & jerry or a kids fight. Little courtesy and hardwork is enough to mind one's business. One need not be intelligent I guess.

[90 minutes, just passed........]

Actually, I was reading the biography of Rahman and got lost. Now I feel really lucky to meet A.R. Rahman at JFK Airport last year. He is a great man........indeed!

Hamaare Beach Mein....

My friend came to my place for the weekend. We planned to go to NYC and spend some time there. But he's coming from the city. We dropped that idea as we both have been there recently and no point loitering around there again.

We stayed back and watched movies. We saw Flavors. Then Kandukondain Kandukondain. Both were decent movies to watch and there was nothing much to do but to relax. We both spoke about our school days, college and after that.

In the evening, we went to West Meadow Beach .............nice beach. It was for the first time I've been to the beach at Stony Brook. For me, it didn't exactly seem to be a beach. There were many stones and rocks over there and no waves or tides. We spent some time there and been to Curry Club....came back.......then chatted for a while and went to sleep late in the night.

It wasn't fun, but it was relaxing and felt at home. Because we are meeting after 2 years and we had lot of them to talk about, other than e-mailing and talking on phone.


The rest of the day, I was watching Rahman's live in concert on my PC and then few songs after that........Rahman songs have that divine effect which I cannot (as always) express in words.

Departure...........

Day: Thursday
Date: August 18, 2005
Time: 7:20 A.M. (IST)
Place: My house

Event: Bruno expired

My bro called me in the night (EST time) and told me about this. I called amma and she started crying on phone. I think she cried so much that day as if a family member has expired. It was a family thing for us. Nanna was devastated to see his dog lying in front of the house, unmoved.

Exactly a month back, the doctor predicted that Bruno will be alive until 6 months and slowly its liver and spleen would stop funtioning. It would be hard to breathe and the stomach would swell. I think the doctor was correct. Everything has happened as he said, except for the time span. Nobody saw it coming, as the night before he expired he was very active and did his duties just as on any other day. Surprising thing is that everything happened all of a sudden which is not digestable fact for me.

I thought of it all the time. The way he used to play, act and talk to me........it was a gem of a dog. I always used to think that I can't see my dog dying in front of my eyes and I can't bear the fact its no more. Actually, I hoped to see him when I go in november this year. Atleast I could spend some time with him in his last days. But unfortunately, that didn't happen. The only memory of him is when I fed him last, before I left to US. It knew something was going on and also that I'm leaving. He was sniffing my suitcases and bag. It was more expressive with his eyes than a human being.

I think more than anybody else, it is tough for my nanna as he's the one who took care of both the dogs after I left home. He took Bruno and done with cremating him near the overbridge it seems. Definitely, my house will be of no life for a while without Bruno. He used to walk in all the rooms and always monitored us and almost made a mental note of where we are and what we were doing at each time.



He is the first being to greet me as I enter my house gate, after I came back from college. It was evening and time to take him for a walk. He used to see through that small gap between the gate and wag its tail as I came close to him. He always loved the way we used to touch him. He used to like it a lot and showed lots of emotions and love towards us. When my aunt was patting my back, he thought I was getting beatings from somebody and he used to pound on the other person. Such was his love for me. I virtually used to talk to him and he understands it very well.

I miss him. I miss all of it. When he came to our house, he used to follow me whereever I go and gave me company. I didn't have inclination for this dog in the begining. Once he kept his neck on top of my crossed-legs, while I was having my lunch, on the table. It was then that I realized that this is my dog and from here on he's my responsibility. I took good care of him..........I think.

I miss all of him now. I am helpless sitting 10,000 miles away from my home and thinking about him. I feel guilty of not being near him in his last days. I miss his presence, his expressive eyes, his walk, his roaring and his happiness with me.

My greatest fear........my weakness.........losing your loved ones.........thats what it is.

Days and events

"Get on a bus from New York to Boston and I'll pick you up from there. Can you come on Friday?", that was my bro on phone. He was desparate for a brake. I said ok and we both drove to Maine, after I reached Boston.

Maine is a great place to visit. Its scenic and beautiful. We've been to Fort Williams park, Cape Elizabeth and the headlights over there. We came back and been to bowling and pool. It was a first time for me getting involved in the recreational events.

August 12th marks a very important day for me, for the following reasons:

1. This day last year, I came to US.
2. I met A.R. Rahman at JFK airport.
3. It happened to be more of a travelling day.

August 14th also holds significance as its my father's birthday and two years back I wrote my GRE on the same day. My friend calls me a psycho for remembering the past days with dates.

And august 15th is our independence day. But this time around the campus, I think it wasn't as much fun as it was last year. I didn't attend it and was feeling sleepy then. But interesting thing is that the Empire state building in NY was lit up with indian tricolor and there's going to be a parade from Aug. 21, celebrating this event.

Missing..........

Yea........some parts are missing. This picture was taken by one of my apartment mates, somewhere near Stony Brook.

I don't know who sculpted it or destroyed it but the remains give a very artistic look.

Who is an artist here????

As you "like" it!!

It was evening at BNL and I got into the BNL shuttle and closed my eyes. Usually, if there is no disturbance, I would sleep and begin some random thoughts or a dream or some music comes up (its a really different tune you know??). But if somebody is talking among themselves, I listen to them with my eyes closed. Of course if its interesting.

But yesterday evening, two undergrad girls were talking about something which I didn't understand at all. But they were blabbering something, which made no sense to me. However, there was something strange in those girl's way of talking. They use a lot of "like" in their speech.

If was like........
we were like.........
Like.........I was like...........
You know.....like.............like...........like............like.........like..........like...........

Wow! can't they speak simple english??? And I was counting how many times one of the girls used the word 'like'. There were 104 likes in her gossip in a half hour journey! Forget about you guys, but I myself don't believe that I've counted so many of them. Maybe, american way of talking......but I know few amrus, who very well speak decent english and know what they are talking. I'm not talking about old, sophisticated people but very much young people who are good friends.

But talking about amrus english, one thing that I've observed is that there is so much emphasis of an expressive way of talking, rather than the meaning itself. It creates an impact on what one would like to say. My apartment mate always had issues with this way of talking.......the accent. Yeah......it bothered him a lot as he had to take ESL class in the first sem. We always make fun of this line in a movie, where the girl says,

"Who aaaaaaaaarre yyyyouuu?"

My friend says, "Kitnaa Kheenchthi hai be!" Other example was...

"Freeeeeeeezze, don't move".

"Am I a refridgirator??? Is there a compressor in my stomach or what??", was my friend's reply. Yes, sometimes its funny if english is not your native language. Because whatever you talk or listen, sometimes people tend to translate in their vernacular language and understand them. Another example is ........You Know...

There will be 100 You know's and Like's in people's conversation that tend to completely erase the essence of what they talk of. It irritates me for most of the time. Anyway, who cares, my own english is sometimes vague.

I am listening to main theme of 'Chariots of Fire'. Its soothing. I saw Pather Panchali. Its a decent movie with good print. Its about a rural family and how they go about their life. Good screenplay and surprised to see in the titles about the music....composed by Ravi Shankar. Also I didn't know that it was Satyajit Ray's debut film that won him accolades. It was a Merchant Ivory Production.

Will watch the The Last Emperor tomorrow. I remember watching it as a kid but don't remember it actually. It was directed by Bernado Bertolucci and has won 9 academy awards......should be a nice weekend movie to see.

I like that. Well let me stress once more time..........I llllikke that......

like.........like............like....like....like......like.....like.......like.....like......like.........

god help me!

Few more one-liners........

Following are some of the funny things that I used to note down at the end of my notebook during my college days, about my teachers.

• Suppose say, there is somethinglike water in the pond.
  
• If you don't do the homework, I'll kneel down in the sun.
• Now I make this a double bond, and I get a Tyu-Butene (for saying 2-butene)
• Hey......why are you rotating the college?? (my friend told me this)
  
• What is the collolary of this theorem? (for corollary)
• You know..........8 is always divis by 2.

Shayari by one chem. teacher..........

"Boyyssssssss........
Don't make noissee........
Don't raise your voice......."

Now, I hardly remember some of these.........anyway, nanna called just now....says Bruno is doing fine and there is no need to worry. So.....I may've a good night sleep now......

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................

From grammar to glamour

By the way, there were many grammar mistakes in my previous post. When I was referring to my dog Bruno, I used 'it' in some and 'he' in other sentences. I always had this problem since the begining. I observed this mistake in many others while they talk or write in some articles.
This reminds me of one petty incident happened during my junior college days. We had Sanskrit as second language and the grammar part in the subject was a little tough for many. One of my friends used to dub the grammar as glamour. So in his words,

• we had lot of 'glamour' in first year than second year in sanskrit and english subjects.
  
• students commit many glamour mistakes.
• students should practice glamour in the subjects and get cent percent marks.
  
• and whatever we speak should be 'glamour'atically correct!

Wow!.......its glamourous!.....

One other incident is where one of the lecturers doesn't pronounce the 'Pa' sound. He used to make 'Fa' sound that confused us for a while. Here is the best of all....

He said, " In fre-finals, forty fercent of the fafer will be froblems only, fractice the froblems get good marks and fut in your fockets".

There was another professor in Biochemistry course who used to pronounce the other way. In biochemistry, we had something called 'fibrinogen'. He says, 'pibrinogen'. "Have a pruitpul puture" .......%^&*@#$.......

There were many such funny incidents on which I could recollect a few. Those were the most enjoyable days I spent.

I've been watching quite a few movies lately from the university library. So far, I've seen Fantastic Voyage, In Custody, Sound of Music, Satya, Bedazzled, Run Lola Run, Salaam Bombay and Arth.

I got Pather Panchali, The Last Emperor and Dead Man walking today. I heard a lot of Satyajit Ray movies, but never got to see them actually. One of my friends comments was that he makes sick movies. That was his perception, but he points out that he makes movies on sick and poor people and earns money, laurels and become rich. Ummnnnn.......maybe but having said that, the contemporary movies makes no sense to me as most of them have no story or nothing but sick faces, which has become a trend now.

Hence, I decided watching old classics or some of my all time favorites. I don't mind watching any number of times as they never make me bore. Well films made now are for sheer business. Mahesh Bhatt is one director who openly says that he makes films for money. There is no emotion, film-close-to-my heart or for class. Now, most of them are skin flicks. Well.......there is a glamour mistake there.

Greatest fear

I was surfing the net sometime back and I found an interview with A.R. Rahman. I saw that interview in Rendezvous with Simi Garewal some 2 years ago. Some guy must have recorded and put that on net..... so I played it in my mp3 player.

It was a nice one where he talks about his past, present and about his music. Simi, I observed usually asks many such questions which make the guests to think for a while before they can answer. So was ARR......thinking......taking his time to answer.....pausing occasionally and is very good at giving succinct replies.

One such question was, "What is your greatest fear?". He replied, "To lose your loved ones". True, the answer for that question could be anything. But I could relate to what he said. It is really frightening to imagine about any person whom you see all the time in front of you, suddenly disappears forever. There was this other interview of Javed Akthar few years back, where he mentioned that those were really horrible times for him when both his parents expired. "I felt I was standing in front of a tiger", he exclaimed.

What made me to bring about this topic is just a couple of days back, my father called me from India. He never calls unless its an emergency. It was about my 10-year old dog, Bruno. It's sick and vomiting foam. This was unusual. He said he's taking Bruno to hospital and take X-ray to see what happened. Its stomach was bulging it seems and isn't looking good.

After couple of hours, I was told that Bruno can survive a maximum of 6 months. Its spleen and liver stopped functioning and when it deteriorates, it'll be euthanized. The very thought of it was shocking. We all raised Bruno. ......

It came to our house during the 1996 world-cup final. Sri Lanka was winning at that time and we were excited to see a small animal in our drawing room, which was nothing but a pseudo skeleton with a big tail. We loved it so much that we made him sleep next to our beds. It is like we all were growing at the same time. The most interesting part was when he used to understand what I say. As if he knows Telugu. Not even hand signs but a mere change in the tone would explain everything. I still remember the way he shows his happiness, the way he surrenders when he does something wrong and his furiosity.

Hearing about a living being dying in a matter of time is very scary. Its like a cancer...more like a deadline. Yes, really a 'dead'line. Ofcourse, many might have experienced this painful time but it still scares them once they recollect the past.

Many say, facing death is the biggest fear a person can have. But losing your loved ones is the greatest fear of all. The best one could do is to take a good care and be close to him. I told my mother to take as many pictures of Bruno as they can. I hope to see Bruno when I go back in november. Again, its just a matter of time....................