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AR Rahman’s long-time collaborator and celebrated musician Ranjit Barot recently opened up about the Oscar-winning composer’s unmatched work ethic and how his relentless dedication helped shape his journey to the top.
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In a conversation with O2India, Ranjit shared, “I think he’s blessed, but I don’t like to put too much weight on that, because it takes away from the hard work he’s put in. Everyone says, ‘He’s blessed, he’s blessed.’ But what is blessing, really? To me, it’s acknowledging that you’ve been touched by a pure force, and then working on it. We’re all blessed in some way, but the real question is: what are we doing with it? Everyone has a different path and a different journey. He does what he does because, in a way, he has been working like this 24/7 for 40 years. That’s what you call being blessed. Blessing isn’t just a label. Yes, we all feel blessed in some way, and yes, in our karmic journey, he has grown to this level. He has worked for many lifetimes to become this person, and then he happens to be in the right place at the right time. The fact that Ilaiyaraaja said no to Roja and Rahman grabbed the opportunity, these things definitely helped him. But the rest is all his hard work.”
Also Read | AR Rahman sang ‘Vande Matram’ at 2 am, filmmaker recalls wanting to keep it ‘romantic’: ‘I was in tears…vohi recording aaj gaane mein hai’
Ranjit Barot also reflected on how the Hindi film industry may no longer provide AR Rahman with the creative freedom he once enjoyed, suggesting that his talents find a more fitting home in Tamil cinema today. “Now, yes, currently. There was a time when Hindi film directors were given the same amount of freedom. But now, he doesn’t really need the Hindi cinema scene that much; he’s beyond all that. Yes, he’s originally from Chennai, so his roots are there. But having said that, he’s not just some Carnatic musician, he’s a Sufi musician. He can do ghazals, he can do North Indian music, he’s a classical-based composer, and he’s very clued into the North Indian system. It’s a shame that the Hindi film industry doesn’t make more use of his genius — that’s their loss. In Chennai, they allow him to be who he is, and he’s happy with it.”
Recently, AR Rahman composed the music for the blockbuster Chhava and for Mani Ratnam’s latest film, Thug Life. While Chhava was become one of the highest grossers of the year, Thug Life unfortunately failed to leave a mark at the ticket window.
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