How Filmmakers Rejected but Ad. World Embraced @ARRahman | Rajiv Menon |Rahman Music Sheets 77

Introduction

The speaker is introduced with applause and music.

Speaker's Background

• No information provided.

Milestones of an Incredible Journey

The speaker talks about his journey in the film industry and how he met Rajiv Menon and A.R Rahman.

Meeting Rajiv Menon and A.R Rahman

• Rajiv Menon directed three films that had music by A.R Rahman.

• They started working together in advertising films before Roja.

• Dilip, who worked with the speaker's mother, introduced him to A.R Rahman.

• The speaker was impressed by A.R Rahman's fusion music on Jazz.

Choosing Filmmaking Over Acting

• The role played by Arvind Swami in Roja was first offered to Rajiv Menon but he refused it.

• The speaker explains that his ambition was to be a filmmaker or a cinematographer, not an actor.

• He did not want to act because it would be difficult to come back behind the camera later on.

How the Speaker Met A.R Rahman

The speaker talks about how he met A.R Rahman through Dilip and their first collaboration.

First Collaboration with A.R Rahman

• Dilip synthesized some metal cutting sound, plate breaking sound, wood breaking sound, and other sounds for a commercial that the speaker was working on.

• After finishing the commercial work, Dilip showed the speaker some of his fusion music on Jazz which impressed him.

Allwyn Trendy Watches and A.R Rahman's First Break

This section discusses how Hyderabad Allwin Limited entered the wristwatch business in 1981 and how A.R Rahman received his first break when he composed a jingle for Allwin Trendy Watches in 1987.

A.R Rahman's Track for Allwin Trendy Watches

• The track was different from traditional jingles as it incorporated percussion-heavy music with three genres of music in one 30-second clip.

• The plastic watch was marketed towards young people, so the music had to appeal to that demographic.

• A.R Rahman's youthfulness and desire to experiment with different sounds allowed him to create a unique track that caught the attention of many.

Setting Up a Studio

• After recording the jingle, A.R Rahman realized that he wanted better recording standards and convinced his mother to let him set up his own studio.

• He started with an eight-track four sticks but quickly upgraded to a 16-track four sticks and mixer.

• With his own studio, A.R Rahman bloomed creatively without the pressure of time constraints or working with other musicians.

Composing Music for Films

This section discusses how film lent itself perfectly to A.R Rahman's style of composing as he could react to visual cues and situations.

Reacting to Visual Cues

• A.R Rahman preferred reacting to scripts or situations in films rather than composing beforehand.

• He liked seeing the visual cues before composing as it helped him get excited about creating something new.

Background Scores and Fusion Music

• By the time he was 21 or 22, A.R Rahman had already worked for five to six years doing background scores for Telugu and Tamil films.

• In his spare time, he played Fusion music and Jazz, which allowed him to experiment with different sounds and genres.

AR Rahman's Early Career in Advertising

This section discusses how AR Rahman started his career in advertising and how he used his home recording studio to experiment with sound.

Recording Studio at Home

• AR Rahman believed that he could create new sounds for films and advertising.

• He had a recording studio at home, which allowed him to experiment with sound and come up with better ideas.

• His unique sound was noticed when it was put on ads that were broadcasted nationally.

Working in Advertising

• AR Rahman started working on jingles and musical tracks for advertisements.

• He worked with musicians, lyric writers, and singers from the film industry to create these tracks.

• However, sometimes efforts went to waste when tracks were bounced due to changes requested by clients.

New Technology and Sound Innovation

• AR Rahman used digital recording technology to create superior recordings of his music.

• He focused on creating newness, freshness, and superior recording quality in his work.

• Despite criticism from others in the industry about the length of his hook lines, his jingles became popular among audiences.

Success in Advertising

• AR Rahman's use of the Veena instrument in a Leo Coffee ad became a big hit.

• His success in advertising helped him gain recognition outside of Chennai and Tamil Nadu.

A. R. Rahman's Musical Journey

In this section, the speaker talks about how A. R. Rahman became a master of rhythm and offbeat music, and how he introduced reggae into Indian music.

Introduction to A.R. Rahman's Music

• A.R. Rahman was a master of rhythm and offbeat music.

• He introduced reggae into Indian music with a very simple tune that took off quickly.

• He believed that if a tune is completely different or new, then you can call in a conventional singer, but if the tune is a little conventional, then you must use your own conventional singer.

A.R. Rahman as Youth Icon

In this section, the speaker talks about how A.R. Rahman redefined the expression of love towards motherland through his song and became a youth icon.

Re-defining Love for Motherland

• The song not only redefined our expression of love towards motherland but also turned Rahman into a youth icon.

• In 2002, he was getting ready for his international launch with Bombay Dreams directed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Arrival of Airtel Signature Tune

In this section, the speaker talks about how advertising world sniffed an opportunity in Rahman and arrived at the Airtel signature tune.

Arrival of Advertising World

• Advertising world started sniffing an opportunity in Rahman thus arrived Airtel signature tune.

• This was also the first advertising film where Rahman agreed to appear on screen, though very reluctantly.

Conclusion

A.R. Rahman's musical journey has been a fascinating one, from introducing reggae into Indian music to becoming a youth icon and being recognized by the advertising world.