Faith in a Film

What makes this globally sought-after music director say yes to a film?

It was as if he’d been waiting for this question to be asked. “It’s a great question! And I have a great answer for it. Once I heard an actress answering a similar question. She said that if filmmakers can make a film without her, let them make it. This answer is good for music also. Do you really need AR Rahman?” he loops a question in. With some of the finest film and music collaborations to his credit, Rahman enjoys working with people whose projects really need his music.

The Clashes of Faith

It is easy to ride atop an ego horse when you have possibly the greatest awards and honours to your credit. What does it take to not let ego come in the way of one’s passion?

“When you are passionate, it’s difficult to be humble. You get angry and raise your voice. However, ultimately it’s all about destroying your ego. That’s what sufism has taught me. It’s about going the sufi route,” Rahman says. Incidentally, for the next two years, he’s associated with a sufi project called The Sufi Route – Concerts for Peace. The inaugural concert happened in Delhi at the Qutub Minar complex on 18 Nov. The curators, Friday Filmworks, INvision Entertainment and Invloed Matrix, plan to take The Sufi Route to the iconic Blue Mosque in Turkey next year.

He adds, “As a film musician I’m not supposed to have an opinion. I give what the director asks me to. My job is to make the filmmakers’ job easier and not cause them trouble. Ultimately, the film has to work. It’s a big gamble.”

His response steered the conversation towards films running into trouble due to offended sensibilities, Padmavati being the latest. On growing intolerance, Rahman’s response remains measured and positive. Likening the country to a big family where members fight with each other he says, “It will all settle down. When people have power it easily corrupts them.”

Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar

Video Editor: Mohd Ibrahim

Production Assistant: Sai Sethu

(This article is from The Quint’s archives and was first published on 20 November 2017. It is now being republished to mark AR Rahman’s birthday.)

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