Govind Nihalani & AR Rahman

Duet with a difference

What happens if you bring the king of off-beat cinema and the king of commercial film music? The answer could well be Thakshak. The film is Govind Nihalani’s maiden commercial venture, and who better to give music for the film but Rahman. But their association dates back even before Rahman became a household name, says Govind Nihalani, as he speaks at length about Rahman, his music and of course the score for Thakshak.

The first and most obvious question that comes to mind, why AR Rahman?
My choice of people, be it writers, actors or even music directors has always been instinctive. My first impression of Rahman was of his Roja soundtrack. He was only a newcomer, not yet established in the industry, but I had decided then itself that I wanted to work with him. So I went to meet him in Chennai and signed him on, nearly 5 years before Thakshak was born.

(After a long pause) I think he is the best. He is the most original and modern of all our music composers today. But most of all, I like his musical sensibilities, his approach. Rahman is one of the few music directors who are constantly striving for something new, something which has not been done before. And for this he is unafraid to break the tradition or do something totally unconventional. He is a fearless composer.

Rahman is known as an insomniac, how was the process of working with him?
We started off when I first discussed the script with him. I also gave him the script to read, so that he could understand the essence of the story. Then we discussed individual situations, he understood the moods and gave it musical expression. We selected the tune best suited to the situation and then the lyrics were added. Sometimes we’d go the other way round, when Rahman would want to listen to some lines and then work on the tune, based on the feelings those lines invoked in him.

Yes it is true that Rahman does most of his recordings in the night, but I must tell you that all singers and musicians who work with him do it without any qualms. Even Ashatai who has sung Rang De on the album, recorded at 12.30 in the night! But then that’s the kind of respect he commands. When we actually recorded the songs, watching him work on the computer was like watching a sculptor at work, as he moulded rough recordings into perfect songs.

Did you give him a specific brief, as to what you expected of him?
As I said I used to explain the situation and he would take it from there. Like for example I told him that Ajay Devgan’s character will be singing a romantic song while playing the guitar. He not only created a tune with the guitar as the prominent instrument, he also flew down a musician from Pondicherry, because he knows that this was the man who would give him exactly what he wants.

How would you describe your relationship with Rahman, as a director?
Rahman and I struck an immediate chord the first time we met. We respect each other and there is a personal rapport above the obvious professional relationship. I think this kind of relationship adds pleasure to your work and makes the process very exciting. Plus he is a very easy-going person with no ego hassles.

Is Thakshak’s music doing as well as you expected it to?
Well, HMV tells me that they are very happy with the way the album is faring. Also the feedback that I am getting from people has been very positive and these are people from varied fields and backgrounds. Everyone has a preference of songs from the album, but no one has come to me and told me that they disliked the music if I may use a filmi cliche. I think we can safely say that the music is a big hit (laughs).

Do you consider Rahman as the best in the country? Why?
In my opinion Rahman is the best in the country. He was the first and only choice for my film, I never considered anyone else. And the reason as I enumerated earlier, is his approach to music. For Rahman, music is not just a profession, it is a spiritual calling. Hence he is not merely a person who makes tunes, but he is someone who creates music. Also he is one person who hates repetition, and no two tunes of his sound similar. That’s why he is constantly innovating and improvising. I mean look at his instrumentation and orchestration, it is simply wonderful. I think he is no less than a pioneer.

How different was it working with Rahman than working with other music directors?
I have worked with music directors like Vanraj Bhatia, Ajit Verman and Vishal Bharadwaj. Each of them had their own style and approach. I think all of them are great in their own way. You see I worked with music directors whom I could relate to, in a particular project. And I felt that for Thakshak, Rahman was the best choice.

How important is the music to the film?
I believe that the story, the acting, the music and the direction, everything is important in the making of a film. In popular cinema, music does draw audiences for the first week of the film. But if you want to sustain the audience’s interest, you must have a good film. A good soundtrack only adds to the story, the acting and other elements, but cannot replace these. Though this is my first venture into commercial cinema, I did not want to make a run-of-the-mill film. I wanted everything to be fresh and new, something that will excite the audiences, both visually and aurally. That’s why the film’s music and also the Rahman factor, if you like, is so important.

Was the choice of singers - his or yours?
He chose the singers keeping in mind the tune. And I have complete faith in his judgement, although he was very open to suggestions. Moreover I think he has made an excellent choice with Roopkumar Rathod, Hema Sardesai, Asha Bhosle and Sukhwindara. In fact the first song that Sukhwindara and Rahman ever did was Dholana, which was also the first song recorded for Thakshak. And everyone knows the work they have done since.

How long did it take for the music to be composed?
The music took as long as the film to be completed. So from the time we first met to the completion of the last song, it was about two years.

Which is your favourite song of the film?
It’s like asking a mother about his favourite child. I like all the songs, and to say about any song will be unfair on the others.

In focus
HMV has shot two videos with the artistes of the film Thakshak . The original film sets have been recreated from scratch to shoot these videos. The first video features the legendary Asha Bhosle who for the first time , has appeared in a film music video. Picturised on the song, Rang De , this video juxtaposes shots of the music diva with scenes from the original film.

The second video is picturised on the dance number, Jumbalika. A song that is guaranteed to set your feet tapping. Newcomer Nethra Raghuraman makes a sizzling debut, but the real stars of this video are Made In India pop wonder Alisha and Breathless hero Shankar Mahadevan.