MUMBAI: Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman has addressed the criticism surrounding the musical score of Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming magnum opus Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Facing persistent queries over the artistic treatment of the recently released song Mangal Rang, the veteran composer stated that he does not feel compelled to respond to every public opinion regarding his work.
Quoting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Rahman offered a candid response: “If you want to satisfy everyone, go sell ice cream”. In an interview with Screen, he opened up about his creative methodology and explained why he cautions against judging a musical piece prematurely.
According to the composer, a complex musical arrangement often demands time and multiple iterations before achieving its final form. He revealed that he remains his own primary critic. “I am my first critic. It is not that I just love everything I do. We don’t decide something in a day. We live with it for months sometimes. There’s a thought process,” Rahman said.
Drawing an analogy to culinary aging, Rahman compared certain compositions to pickles, explaining that their richness unfolds gradually. He urged listeners to grant a piece of music time to resonate. “Sometimes you need to take anthropology into consideration. Sometimes, you let something be, like pickle: for certain tunes, the older it is, the better it becomes,” he noted.
He further pointed out that listeners often critique an isolated element without grasping the broader narrative vision, emphasizing that patience allows the audience to eventually understand specific creative choices. “People sometimes see one side; they don’t see the whole picture. So sometimes you just have to be patient. And they discover it and say, ‘Oh, that’s why you did this’ or ‘that’,” he added.
However, Rahman acknowledged that an artist cannot endlessly worry about public approval. Recognizing that attempting to satisfy all expectations is unfeasible, he invoked Jobs’ famous remark.
Backlash Surrounding ‘Mangal Rang’
Rahman’s remarks come following mixed reactions to Mangal Rang, rendered by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal with lyrics penned by Kumar Vishwas. The song, which depicts the wedding of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, drew scrutiny from a section of listeners over its perceived qawwali influences and modern electronic arrangements. While some listeners expected a traditional devotional soundscape, others expressed reservations regarding the electronic treatment of the Ravana Tandava sequence.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com