They say he doesn't talk much, but that is not quite true of Allah Rakah Rahman. Approach him when he is free, and he can -- and does -- talk nineteen to the dozen on his favourite subject, music [See earlier interview].
And then there are days like last Friday, when he was in Mumbai for a little less than a day, and had been scheduled into more interviews, functions and meetings than he could handle -- and that is when he responds with half his mind on his next assignment.
Rahman was in Mumbai, along with Bharat Bala of the eponymous production house, to release an album that has, over the span of a decade, become something of a pet project for the composer.
The project began 10 years ago, when Bharat Bala and Rahman conceived of the idea of producing a version of Vande Mataram that would make the national song accessible to the modern generation.
Though originally intended -- and even released -- as a one-off, the project grew in scope and size. Over the years, Rahman and Bharat Bala travelled across the country, shooting India's leading music maestros in the most unusual and occasionally, inaccessible of locations as they performed the national anthem.
The lineup of talent coming together on Rahman's production is breath-taking: Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Lata Mangeshkar, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali, DK Pattamal, Bhupen Hazarika, Asha Bhosle, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhat, Ustad Sultan Khan, Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash, Rahul Sharma, Vikku Vinayakram, Uma Shankar, Kadri Gopalnath, Ravikiran, Hariharan, Kavita Krishnamurthy and those names are just samplers of the full list.
The jewel in this crown of audio and video productions of India's national song and national anthem, however, is the national anthem itself, filmed on the Indian Army, and shot at a height of 21,000 feet, on the icy glaciers of Siachen.
Last week, the producers tested it by playing it before a feature film at a city theatre. "The audience was taken by surprise, when this came in place of the regular anthem," Bharat Bala told rediff.com. "And when it ended, they remained standing and they cheered; for us, it was a never-to-be-forgotten moment."
Rahman's reaction is more muted. He is, he said, happy the project is finally done, and will be on the shelves of bookstores and music outlets this August 15. Snatching five minutes in between a meeting and a publicity appearance, the ace music composer spoke to Prem Panicker.
It is almost 10 years since you and Bharat Bala came together on Vande Mataram, and you are back working on the anthem again. What is it about the national anthem that draws you back to it after all this time?
It is actually the same thing. What we are doing now is releasing the individual versions, performed by the great musicians. It took a while to produce all of that, that's all -- especially because I was also busy with films and other commitments.
Also Read: The Man. The Maestro. The Music.
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