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Every artiste who has worked with Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has a unique story to share about the legend. While some have shared how the composer works only at night, others revealed how he has a ritual of lighting a candle every time he enters his studio. Recently, Manoj Muntashir opened up about his first meeting with Rahman, calling it ‘quiet confusing’. He said Rahman was the most ordinary person when he entered the room.
It all started when Rahman approached Muntashir through Boney Kapoor for the Ajay Devgn-starrer Maidaan. It was the day of Muntashir’s first meeting with Rahman, which the lyricist recalled in his recent interview with O2 India.
Manoj Muntashir said, “My first meeting was nothing like I had imagined even in my wildest dreams. I had always seen him in public gatherings. I had never met him personally. His name carries a huge persona with it. It holds a legendary and cult status. With that kind of persona created, you generally picture a spiritual energy entering the room. But, when Rahman sir entered the room, he was like any other common man.”
He added, “Dare I say this, but this man was so simple. Be it his attire, his words, or the way he sat. He is the most ordinary man in the world until he sits with his piano. He is not extra-ordinary and that’s what makes him so special. He doesn’t carry his fame on his shoulders like a medal, proclaiming, ‘I am AR Rahman.’ Nothing of that sort. It’s like he’s oblivious to the fact. I couldn’t understand how this was possible.” He laughed as he said, “I think I walked with more arrogance than him. He’s just so simple.”
Manoj Muntashir, however, said AR Rahman’s divine nature shines through when he is discussing music. He said, “Until we didn’t bring music into the conversation, he didn’t say anything deep or profound. The moment we started discussing music. Oh my God! He got unleashed. It felt like a nuclear reactor being activated, setting off a chain reaction. I was mesmerised. I couldn’t bridge the two Rahmans I was meeting. One Rahman was so simple–no one could be more ordinary. And the other Rahman, seated at the piano, was so divine that it is impossible for a human to be this way. I had quiet a confusing first meeting with him.”
After experiencing several delays, Ajay Devgn-starrer Maidaan finally hit theatres in June last year. The film failed to earn moolah at the box office, but songs like “Team India Hai Hum” and “Mirza” became a fan favourite.
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