With a tour of the U.S. coming up in May, and the making of his own movie under way, A.R. Rahman confesses that ‘terrified, yet excited’ is probably what best describes his state of mind.
Despite reiterating that music is a universal language which cuts across barriers, the icon notes that winning over the West had it own challenges.
He says, “When I went to play with Mick Jagger, they were surprised to know that I even speak English. When they heard me playing English chords, they were even more taken aback. So there is a notion that Indians can only do one thing. To be a master and have leadership in music, you need to know all kinds of stuff, you need to own it.”
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However the Academy Award winner emphasises that distances between the country and the outside world are definitely being bridged.
He says, “The hip hop world is extremely open to Indian music. I know people like Will. i. am and Timbaland follow Indian music and even use some Indian loops in their work.”
When it comes to the classical realm, he admits that a lot more can be done in terms of opening up to world music. He argues, “The classical communities in China and Japan have successfully broken that barrier. In India, apart from Zubin Mehta, I’ve not heard of anyone else who has made that jump.”
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Even as his fans are waiting breathlessly for the music of Mani Ratnam’s OK Kanmani, he says “The audiences are getting younger, the pressure to satisfy everyone is daunting. I really hope people enjoy the music and the film.”