Forgotten A. R. Rehman

WHEN A.R.REHMAN IS FORGOTTEN

More than a decade ago a top film director of Bollywood and Hollywood films hosted a party at his Mumbai home for a select group of his closest fiends including Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Vijay Anand and three more film personalities. After dinner an impromptu ‘antakshari’ session started that went on from about mid- night till about 6 in the morning—non-stop. The contest was won by Javed Akhtar who as we know is one of the last links between the golden era of Hindi film music that has all but vanished and contemporary Hindi music. This lyricist was able to come up with a song no matter how the previous song ended One participant alleged that Javedsaab was just ‘cooking’ up songs using his immense poetry talents !! Javed said that he could tell the name of the film , its singer, music director, lyricist and even the situation for each and every song he had sung that evening.. Even as the others accepted defeat they had tears in their eyes, They asked Javed why there was hardly any melody these days in hindi movie songs This question was asked several years ago but can still be asked even today when the situation has not improved

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I was in tears too when I emerged from an evening of old Hindi songs at an auditorium in Chennai last week , The singers enthralled us with golden melodies—YEHI WHO JAGA HAI, WAQT NE KIYA, AAP KE HASIN RUKH MEIN AAJ NAYA NOOR HAI, and so on.

I cannot but mention two comments by music maestros in the last one month. The first was by Sarod master Amjad Ali Khan who wondered if say twenty or thirty years from now people would remember A.R.Rehman’s songs .At any rate how many of Rehman’s compositions would linger in our memories the way WAQT NE KIYA resonates, decades after it was sung by the inimitable Geeta Dutt under Hemant Kumar’s baton?. .

A few days ago music director Ravi[Waqt.Barsaat ki raat] spoke at a function at Colombo where he said that Rehman’s music is really like techno fast food –not the wholesome type that nourishes you, not something that can be heartily recommended and fondly recalled but fun nevertheless. .

I am not anti Rehman but I simply believe that this maestro ought to be allowed to come up with many more songs based on melody. At present he is a master of techo music , of rhythm ,of the kind of music that sways the body but leaves emotions and the soul untouched , exceptional songs apart. .Thus for every one melody of the’ Yennavale ‘[KADALAN] type he comes with a dozen ‘Mukabkla’ type of songs that hit the jackpot indicative of the preference of the mass market.

Rehman’s music reminds me of R.D Burman. I understand that RDB was passionate about delivering melodious music but film directors demanded rhythm based music of the’ Dam maro dum ‘type, He had to succumb to the market demands. He died a sad man since he felt that his true talents that were evident in the ‘Kuch to log kahenge’ genre of songs was not in demand in a market that wanted more of the ‘Mehmooba mehmooba’ variety.

Rehman is probably in the same dilemma .Fortunately Tamil moviegoers see the melodious Rehman moré frequently [refer VINAITAANDI VARUVAYAA] than do Bollywood audiences .Guitarist Ehsan of the Shankar-Ehsan-Loy trio was in Chennai yesterday and spoke to a newspaper. He said that relishes working and performing in Chennai where ‘there is far greater love of songs based on classical and folk music’ Illayaraja is testimony to this.

Things are not much better in the NRI market. I attended a stage performance by Sonu Nigam at the PATRIOT. STADIUM in Virginia. The hall was packed. Half way through after he and others had belted out the ‘ dhing chak’ variety of songs he asked if he could sing melodious numbers like ‘Kaun aya mere man ke dwaare’ and ‘Duniya ke rakhwale’ he was booed ..A few of us shouted for at least the ‘Piyu Bole’ song but we were sadly outnumbered. He continued with ‘ dhing chak’ songs much against his will—clearly he was bowing to market forces like RDB did years ago an Rehman does these days. .

A friend of mine saw Lata Mangeshkar at a temple. She had to be helped to even walk a few steps—clearly we are witnessing the dusk of one of the melody era’s greatest proponents. She has said that she felt sad at the near demise of melody in Hindi music A writer of books on hindi film music says that the success of the songs of ARADHANA especially the songs ‘Mere Sapnon ki rani ‘ and’Roop tera mastana’ and the virtual eclipse of a melodious song in the same film ‘Goon Goona rahi hai’ by Rafi and Asha was a turning point in Hindi film music—a point that marked the eclipse of Rafi and melody and the rise of ‘dhing chak’.

Techno music of the sort mastered to perfection by Rehman has one interesting feature—even ordinary singers can sing playback. Rehman’s brilliant use of instruments can hide the defects of any singer. You might have noticed that Rehman has introduced more than a hundred new singers a vast majority of whom will never be heard of ever afterwards. There is an expectation io instant fame and quick money in the minds of many young singers that is another manifestation of a social trend—instant noodles, instant messaging, instant coffee ,kal ho na hao as if there is no tomorrow in a real not a spiritual sense. .

Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh bemoaned that these days singers rushed from the bathroom to the recording room .A far cry from the four hour daily riaz of Rafi and Lata or the five hour sadhana of an MS. The songs of these singers and composers are about as fleeting.

K.R.RAVI

CHENNAI

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