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ARR on Rediff Chat

Topic started by Ravi (@ envy.cs.umass.edu) on Mon Aug 17 11:21:32 EDT 1998.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

A. R. Rahman will be chatting live on the Rediff chat today at 2 pm, EDT (Aug 18th, 0030 IST). If you have anything to ask him this is a good opportunity. :-).
http://www.rediff.com/chat/guest5.htm

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Responses:

• From: PK (@ node1.allegiance.net) on: Mon Aug 17 14:48:39 EDT 1998
  
  I just went to that site. Well, ARR is late as he is possibly following IST(Indian Strechable Time). And, that site does not respond to your postings. I got a message back from the browser saying that site is unreachable, when I tried to send a posting to that chat?????????
  
  
• From: neeks (@ host67066.cfu.net) on: Mon Aug 17 16:31:29 EDT 1998
  
  THANK YOU RAVI!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
• From: testedchat (@ 109.atlanta-35.ga.dial-access.att.net) on: Mon Aug 17 16:37:41 EDT 1998
  
  Yes, ARR is answering to some questions right now...
  
  
• From: muthax (@ user-38ld88t.dialup.mindspring.com) on: Mon Aug 17 23:43:09 EDT 1998
  
  AAAahhhhhh
  
  I did ask quitea lot of questions to ARR
  but successfuly made him answer to three of my questions.
  i have made a cut and paste and going to preserve it like his autograph....
  
  
  
  
• From: neekesh (@ host67066.cfu.net) on: Tue Aug 18 02:18:16 EDT 1998
  
  i didnt get a chance to cut and paste my one response... i am waiting for a transcript to be posted on rediff
  
  
• From: Geetha (@ gatekeeper.oracle.co.uk) on: Tue Aug 18 05:56:27 EDT 1998
  
  Thanks Ravi....He answered one of my questions, maybe more, but I had to go.....I'm still glowing......
  
  
• From: Ravi (@ envy.cs.umass.edu) on: Tue Aug 18 13:05:37 EDT 1998
  
  Guys: While we are waiting for the transcript, do tell us how you felt about the whole thing. How did ARR's reply impress you? Subdued or flashy? arrogant or humble? Where there any topics you thought he avoided etc. Unfortunately I couldn't be there.
  
  
• From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ 128.96.140.26) on: Tue Aug 18 14:12:10 EDT 1998
  
  I had asked him three questions. He answered two of them. I do not remember his exact reply. I have put my words until we get the transcript.
  
  Q1. Did you have a formal training in Jazz music? "Vennilaa" from Iruvar was appreciated very much by my Professor in music college in NJ.
  
  ARR: Oh yeah, one point of my life, I thought that Jazz music is the ultimate and listened to nothing but jazz. That passion is reflected in Iruvar.
  
  Q2: I am a great fan of Stravinsky. How difficult is it to use his poly tonal mode in popular music ? Have you ever used it ?
  
  ARR: I like Stravinksy too. His polytonal mode would work very well for backgorund score. It will interesting to do a song in that mode.
  
  
• From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ 128.96.140.26) on: Tue Aug 18 14:13:33 EDT 1998
  
  I felt that he avoided controversial questions. I felt tha he was very genuine and open in his response.
  
  
• From: muthax (@ client209-42-213-78.intrex.net) on: Tue Aug 18 14:19:05 EDT 1998
  
  he was pretty humble.
  probably sometime must have even got annoyed when some guys threw up questions like
  
  what will u do if u got locked up in a room , with anu mallik.
  
  one geek asked
  what was ur experience with Amirkhan when u worked for rangeela.
  
  all the way he was too sweet and polite.
  i will post my questions and his answers also here
  
  
• From: muthax (@ client209-42-213-78.intrex.net) on: Tue Aug 18 14:20:28 EDT 1998
  
  Hey Guys,
  
  Last afternoon(monday the 17th of August 1998 15:25 EDT), one of the greatest music directors
  of our time, answered to three of my questions. Yes it is A.R.Rahman and it all happend
  at Rediff Chat Room. He was supposed to join around 2:30 Eastern time.
  Many impatient users almost gave up. He finally joined around 3:00 PM (12.30 IST).
  He had come there after the MTV awards. He was answering to many of our questions.
  I asked him quite a few questions and he did answer only to three of them. First time when
  he answered to my my question i almost shouted out of joy and excitement.
  
  I have eclosed the *unedited* answers of ARR to my three questions.
  Since it was a chat session(with screen getting refreshed constatntly)
  i cud not cut my questions and paste here becos i was not sure whether he wud answer
  to my questions or not. For more clarity i have given my questions just b4 his answer.
  
  Here we go guys......
  
  
  My three questions are
  
  1. ARR, during ur days with Ilayaraja, which song do u think that he gave a tuff time for you
  to play. can u brief here ur experience with him.
  
  
  
  ARR's Answer to this (unedited):
  
  
  
  A R Rahman (Mon Aug 17 1998 12:57 IST)
  
  Muthu: I had alight music band in 81-82 and we mainly use to play Ilayaraja and MSV's
  music. What I learned from him is that musicians needend take cociane and alcohol to
  compose good music, music discipline and music with variety. DUring my days with him I
  was a pet. because he has worked for my father and he had the regards as I was his son.
  But I was working nearly around 13 years in films and his was the last 2 years I needed a
  change thats why I took up to a diferent genre of music. HE is a genuis!
  
  
  
  2.ARR, i have a very big doubt for a long time(ever since u scored Roja). In an interview
  u had said that u regularly played in the Madras DD programme 'Wonder Baloon'. Now i heard
  someone saying that u scored the title music for that. is that so? also i remember, back in
  1983 there was one programme in WBalloon, five kids played some of then hits like "Ilamai
  idho idho", "ilaya nila poligirathu" and "Annae annae sippai annae" with just instruments and
  no vocals. The kid who played "Annae annae sippai annae" on the synthesizer was too good and
  definetly the one who played "Ilamai idho idho" on the drums and "ilayanila" on the guitar
  were also too good. All i want to know is am i chating with the same kid "NOW"??? This is
  one big doubt i have. I still remember this programme, which came some 15 years back, so well
  becos it was really awesome.
  
  ARR;s answer to this (unedited).
  
  
  
  
  
  A R Rahman (Mon Aug 17 1998 13:7 IST)
  
  Muthu: Yes you are right but I have NOT composed the wonder balon title, MR RAjan
  of wonder ballon has helped me a lot in my career during those days.
  
  
  
  3. ARR, few words about Sivamani and Prasanna(July Madham vandhal guitarist).
  
  ARR;s answer to this (unedited).
  
  
  
  A R Rahman (Mon Aug 17 1998 13:51 IST)
  
  TT: WE would drink COke or PEpsi. ......................mUTHU: BOth a re genuises, lucky to
  work with them.
  
  
  Guys i was so lucky to chat with him.
  haaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh (relief!!)
  
  
• From: muthax (@ client209-42-213-78.intrex.net) on: Tue Aug 18 14:22:15 EDT 1998
  
  Geetha if u r glowing then iam glowing-o-glowing :))))
  
  ARR-ke ippadinna namma ellam IR kitta pesina???
  
  hhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
  
  
• From: IRfan (@ gw4.awo.com) on: Tue Aug 18 14:27:20 EDT 1998
  
  Guys,
  I do not have a transcript. I participated in the "chat" for some time and I did go through ARR's comments, here are a few I am trying to recollect. I do not guarantee that these are the very words that he typed. Anyone who has the transcript please produce the same.
  
  "IMO, I felt that he did chat a lot about Hindi projects and people than tamil movies. And he did tell something about MSV and IR. He said that his father worked under MSV and also said that "He is a genius". And on asked why he is not giving compositions like that of "Roja" he replied that he is being pressurized by producers for "rhythm-based" compositions as introduced in "Gentleman". Finally, he said good-night to everyone and said he is going to do mixing for a movie called "Doli". In general, he was candid in his replies but avoided controversial questions.
  
  
• From: Sreeni (@ unknown-196-133.beasys.com) on: Tue Aug 18 16:08:54 EDT 1998
  
  IRfan-
  That "Doli" is Doli Sajake Rakhna an Akshaye Khanna starrer directed by Priyadarshan which is a remake of Kathalikku Maryadhai.
  
  Folks-
  As for avoiding controversial questions,I'd say he wasnt asked any.Nobody badgered him with the usual criticisms-repetitiveness,takes long time to compose,plagiarism etc.etc.I wonder why no one asked him these questions,is it because most of the ARR-bashers lost patience and bailed out when he turned up so late?Or did the fact of actually talking to the country's hottest MD turn everybody into simpering celebrity-gazers?
  
  Anyway whats most noteworthy from my point of view is his obvious anxiety about his fully classical&folk based score for the low-budget Sangamam.He honestly asked chat-participants to wish him good luck in that venture,which, if you think about his stature,is an amazingly humble thing for him to say.
  
  
• From: Sreeni (@ unknown-196-133.beasys.com) on: Tue Aug 18 16:19:54 EDT 1998
  
  Sridhar Sitaraman-
  I'd really like to know that professor's views on the Vennila song,what style of jazz does it fall into,shouldnt a good part of the credit go to Ranjit Barot and his "jazz trap kit"?
  
  So it was you who asked the Stravinsky question.I was pretty thrown by that query(it seemed so out of the blue and unrelated to indian film-pop) and even more so by the fact that Rahman answered it the way he did.I mean using Stravinsky for an indian song?!!Is that crazy or what?
  
  
• From: Sreeni (@ unknown-196-133.beasys.com) on: Tue Aug 18 16:33:17 EDT 1998
  
  Folks-
  Sorry about this barrage of posts,but I have a question,did anybody note that Rahman's answer to Geetha's raga question seemed rather evasive,he seems to be saying that he basically behaves as if ragas are just modes in the western scale!Somebody care to explain that?
  
  
• From: IRfan (@ gw4.awo.com) on: Tue Aug 18 16:36:32 EDT 1998
  
  Sreeni:
  I did ask him a few questions which I do not know if it controversial!
  
  Here they are:
  "Why do you use non-tamils to sing tamil songs? They do not pronunce tamil well and it disappoints a lot of fans like me"
  
  "Whom do you think would be the next best successful MD in TN taking into consideration the new MDS in the industry?"
  
  And also another question asking ARR to comment about Raja's genius in writing musical notes which is very extraordinary.
  
  But Guys, he never answered.
  
  
  And, one person put the following question which was termed by another participant as ridiculous.
  
  chatter: Akbar Ali Khan(I hope I got this person's name correctly, sorry guys if it is wrong) has said that synthesized sound makes the brain corrupt as compared to acoustic sound. Please comment.
  
  About repetitions, one chatter asked ARR if telephone mani pol had bits of "Ace of Base" and ARR said it had similar strains but he will see to that such things never happen in his further projects.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Sridhar Seetharaman (@ 128.96.140.26) on: Tue Aug 18 16:39:47 EDT 1998
  
  According to my professor, the song has jazz style of Leonard Bernstein, especially his musicals. He also enjoyed the tune which had lot of microtones (typical to Indian music) merged very well with the Jazz idioms.
  
  Why do you think it is crazy to use polytones for Indian popular music ? I had the same question in my mind when I listened to Stravinsky first. Then I thought that it was a great opportunity for me to throw this question at Rahman. I have great regards for Rahman and I value his opinion.
  
  
  
  

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