Prerna Arora was only 5 when she heard the songs of Roja. “They immediately struck me as something I had never heard. I remember humming and trying to sing ‘Choti si asha’ and ‘Rukmini Rukmini’. When I grew up a bit, a little later I was mentally more equipped to appreciate ‘Roja jaan-e-mann’ and ‘Tu hi re”. Till date Rahman’s Roja remains one of my three favourite Hindi soundtracks, along with R D Burman’s Amar Prem and Madan Mohan’s Woh Kaun Thi.”
The Jatadhara producer appreciates the revolutionary change Rahman brought to the Hindi film song. “Before Rahman Sir, there was a fixed format for the Hindi film song: the opening and closing mukhda, the first antara by male singer, second antara by female singer, then third antara with both. Rahman broke that age-old tradition. He changed the face of the Hindi film song. Every song of his has a renewable quality. The experience that ‘Chaiyyan chaiyyan’ and ‘Ae ajnabee’ was when Dil Se was released is different from what these songs mean to listeners now. I believe there is God in Rahman’s music. I will not a hear a word against Rahman’s music, not even from you , Sir.”
Asked to name her favourite Rahman scores, Prerna exults, “Roja, The Legend Of Bhagat Singh , waah! Look at what Rahman Sir did with all those traditional patriotic songs like ‘Rang de Basanti chola’ and ‘Sarfaroshi ki tamanna’. He breathed new life into these traditional songs. And Rahman Sir’s ‘Maa tujhe salaam’??? Goosebumps. Rahman Sir, tujhe salaam!”
