Good journalists know the golden rule of interviewing a celebrity- avoid the later interview slots. The celeb may be exhausted and uninterested or worse, cancel the interview. Hence, it was a bit unnerving when I had the last slot to interview the musical genius of this century. AR Rahman – known as the Mozart of Madras is India’s foremost music composer. His recent awards, a double whammy at the Oscars and the Grammys (Best Song and Score) for the critically acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire have ensured his place in the world music hall of fame. He is currently on his Lebara Jai Ho Journey Home World Tour and after conquering the USA, is in the UK to perform in Birmingham and London this weekend.
Dressed in a smart grey sweater and dark denims, the maestro surprised me with zero starry tantrums and a warm welcome. After making sure I was comfortable, he quickly got down to our interview.
With the amount of projects you seem to be involved in, your schedule sounds maniacal.
It’s not busy. I don’t take what I can’t handle. I work day, night, anytime when the music comes, it depends on my jet lag.
Are you stressed?
Stress is an understatement. Its like one of those Akbar-Birbal stories. You are deep in ice cold water but you see a lamp at a distance and the light keeps you warm. I see the love of the people and it keeps me going.
