Profile of the Genius A.R Rehman

A R Rahman

With his mop of curls, T-shirt and jeans, he looks like a teenage college student, but his first film score, Roja, fetched him the National Film Award, in 1992, and thrust him into the limelight.
In the five years since Roja, he has created music for blockbuster Indian films, including Pudhiya Mugam, Gentleman, Kizhaku Seemaiyilae, Duet, Kadalan, Bombay, May, Madham, Indian, Muthu, Kadhal Desam and Love Birds. His 1995 soundtrack for Bombay crossed 5 million units and Rahman arrived as the “King of Indian Pop" with sales of more than 40 million albums over a period of 3 years.

Allah Rakha Rahman was born A.S. Dileep Kumar on January 6, 1966, in Madras, to a musically affluent family. Dileep started learning the piano at the tender age of four. But at the age of nine, his father passed away. The pressure of supporting his family fell on Dileep. At the age of 11, he joined Illaiyaraja's troupe as a keyboard player. All this had an adverse affect on his education, and finally he dropped out of school altogether.

Eventually, he played with various orchestras, and accompanied Zakir Hussain on world tours. All this experience enabled him to earn a scholarship to the famed Trinity College of Music at Oxford University from where he obtained a degree in Western Classical Music.

After he returned, he continued to be a part of various music troupes and local rock bands. Rahman branched out into advertising in 1987, when he was asked to compose a jingle to promote a range of watches. The ads were a success, and over the next five years, Rahman would compose more than 300 jingles. He also released his first album, of Muslim devotional songs, titled Deen Isai Malai and the English album, Set Me Free. Both went unnoticed in the market.

In 1989, he started a small studio of his own, called Panchathan Record Inn, attached to his house. This would later develop into one of India's most well equipped and advanced recording studios. In his established state of the art sound and recording studio he began experimenting in sound engineering, design and production.

He also began a collection of sound samples, creating one of the most comprehensive sonic libraries in Asia. The move to movies came during an advertising awards function, where he met Mani Ratnam. Mani requested for a sample of his wares. The composer readily complied and invited the director over to his studio. Mani was hooked, and signed on Rahman to score the music for his next film – Roja. The rest is, as they say, history.

Rahman's blitzkreig continued, and his first break with Hindi films came with Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela. Rahman unleashed his tunes and created mass frenzy. His Tanha tanha was seduction personified. Mani Ratnam picked him for his first Hindi film, Dil Se, and the rest, as they say, is history. His flirtation with Hindi films continued, and Subhash Ghai's Taal landed on his lap next. The composer displayed his versatility with the tunes he composed. Rahman also got an opportunity to work with Deepa Mehta, on the music of Fire and 1947 Earth

The maestro promises a splash in 2001 with One 2 Ka 4, Love You Hamesha and Aamir Khan's long-awaited Lagaan. The genius remains unstoppable!

Profile of Shaan

Shaan

They say when there is music within your heart, it has to be heard. So was the case with Shantanu Mukherjee, aka Shaan, who tried dabbling with other vocations before coming back to what he loved and did best - singing. Getting to where he stands now, was of course, no easy task. That probably explains his easy, unassuming disposition.

Shaan did have a fairly illustrious musical background. His father was composer Manas Mukherjee, who has scored music for films such as Shaayad and Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai. As a child, Shaan started out by singing ad jingles, and then gradually gave it up. However, soon returned to it, and started doing odd music assignments, such as singing remixes and cover versions, apart from ad jingles.

Though Q-Funk was Shaan's first release in 1995, the album that fetched him more recognition was his second release, Roop Inka Mastana, a remixed version of R D Burman's hits. It was made possible by remix guru Biddu, who rechristened him Shaan. The album featured artistes besides Shaan, and included older sister, Sagarika. In 1996, the sibling duo came out with Naujawan, their first big release. The album managed to generate a lukewarm response.

Shaan made his solo debut with the album, Loveology in 1996 - a commonplace pop album that did not do his career much good. This time round, he was written off by critics, who thought he was just another of the talentless multitude.

But lady luck at last decided to smile down upon Shaan in 2000, and the singer delivered Tanha Dil, an exceptionally promising album, featuring some soulful ballads, as well as catchy tunes. The album finally established him as a serious singer of considerable worth.

Shaan's foray into film music was with the film Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi in which he sang two numbers, Musu musu and Woh pehli baar. He is now back with Raju Chacha, where he croons Tune mujhe pehchana nahin for Ajay Devgan.

The singer has gone one step further in 2001, by dominating the credits of Bas Itna Sa Khwaab Hai... Music director Aadesh Shrivastava has entrusted him with the responsibility of carrying the score on his shoulders, and he has done so admirably. Shaan's vocals sit pretty on five tracks, making it his best bet yet.

The young singer remains a self-taught musician, who has received no formal training. Singing apart, Shaan even composes and pens the lyrics of some of his songs. Not the one to be steadfast in an ever-changing industry, Shaan claims that he is open to all kinds of assignments, be it singing ad jingles, doing playback for films, or giving live performances.

But making his own albums, he says, is what he truly finds fulfilling. But naturally.