AR Rahman credits 'Taal' as a turning point in his career: 'I was no longer called a South Indian'

Just a few days ahead of its re-release on September 27, 2024, music legend A.R. Rahman revealed how 'Taal' shaped his career. An accomplished composer in Tamil cinema having delivered industry-standard films in majority of the Indian film industries, Rahman said to PTI that it was 'Taal' that literally opened the gates for him and reached out to a pan-Indian audience.

The movie made him a name in Bollywood and brought him international fame, leading Andrew Lloyd Webber to collaborate with him on Bombay Dreams.

AR Rahman, who had already gained recognition in India with films like 'Roja' and 'Bombay', stated that Taal helped him reach a broader audience. He explained that it was the Taal soundtrack, presented by Kapur to Andrew Lloyd Webber, that led to his invite to work on Bombay Dreams. Rahman said, "I was no longer called a 'South Indian, doing only Tamil music' and all that."

Rahman further said that while films like 'Roja' and 'Bombay' had already made an impact, he believed there was still more to explore, and Taal helped fill that gap. He highlighted that Amar Singh Chamkila embodies pure Punjabi music and mentioned that his confidence grew from his work on all these films, as he shared in an interview with PTI.

Talking about how he came on board with 'Taal', Rahman says that it was an interesting journey with Ghai since this was when he received a personal invitation, faxed to him. Though he had worked on Hindi films with 'Rangeela', 'Taal' was quite a giant leap in his Bollywood journey.

He also discussed various aspects of his music and suggested ways to improve his Hindi. They had previously collaborated on a film called 'Shikhar', which he launched but that never got released.

Opening up on producing the soundtrack for 'Taal' was a quick process, allowing him to explore new musical styles. He mentioned that Ghai would express specific requests, like wanting a symphony or a mountain folk song, which encouraged him to expand his musical sensibilities. Reflecting on his Southern roots, Rahman highlighted his openness to new musical possibilities.






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