We need to be like Michael Jackson

AR Rahman tells Myleene Klass of CNN about evolution of music in Indian films

Do you think the use of music in Bollywood films has become slightly more sophisticated?
Yeah, there is a film called ‘Rang De Basanti’ which also was the official entry from India for Oscars, and this film, when I was doing it, I never knew that the music would reach so many people across the globe.

The songs were lip synced, just used like a background, but it seemed to blended well with the screenplay and the story. So I think it clearly proved that the people are changing and they are looking forward to more sophistic and non cliché stuff.

Was there a growing division, do you think, between films, between Indian films that are favoured by rural audiences and urban audiences?
I think the line is becoming thinner and thinner, really, because, unlike a couple of decades ago where people didn’t know anything about the happening outside. Now people know what it is that Hollywood and Chinese films are made of. This influences people and so filmmakers are compelled to do stuff which is world class.

I can see that the past six years a massive change has happened and there are extraordinary filmmakers who are evolving.

What do you think are the qualities of a truly great composer?
One needs to transcend somebody by even if it is just one instrument theme. And now the challenges of the composers are much more as its not just about composing a great theme. One needs to know recording, production and how to intertwine music with the movie.

And with Indian films it is an even greater challenge, because we need to be like a Michael Jackson or John Williams, Hans Summer and an Indian folk composer and put all of them together. So they expect finesse and they expect versatility.

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