Khatija Rahman reveals dad AR Rahman’s advice to avoid ‘short-lived’ trends: ‘He said he doesn’t know much about music’

The 28-year-old composer recently discussed her approach to music and how Rahman has influenced her style. “We have listened to a lot of his songs, watched his films and we note the background score and compositions. All that is there but I also listen to a lot of international sound tracks and music from Hollywood,” she told Hindustan Times when asked about the rich orchestration in her songs and the use of various instruments, much like Rahman. “I am going for music classes even now – my teacher is in the US and she is a composer herself.”

Recalling Rahman’s advice to avoid following trends and instead focus on the director’s vision, Khatija recounted a recent conversation where the Oscar-winning composer humbly mentioned that he still has much to learn about music. “As for what advice my dad gave me, he has spoken about how he has worked on compositions. Recently, he told us that he doesn’t know much about music and that he was doing what he knows; he told us to listen to a lot of world music, look at other cultures and not to follow trends as trends are short-lived, so make your own trend. He also told us that we need to understand and follow the director’s vision,” she added.

 

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Khatija mentioned that while her father doesn’t interfere with their creative processes, he’s always available if they need advice or support. She also dismissed comparisons with her father, pointing out that he is a well-established legend while she is just starting out. “I didn’t think about being compared as he’s such a big legend and I’m just starting out. But obviously we need to do great work because I have to make my dad, the director, and my family which has a lot of composers, proud” a determined Khatija added. She also mentioned that Rahman had come for the premiere of Minmini. “After the film, he shook my hand and said ‘good job’,” she recalled.

Addressing potential criticisms of nepotism and the idea that her opportunities stem from her famous last name, Khatija acknowledged that such perceptions are natural. She said, “There is nothing wrong if anyone says this because that’s the first thing people will notice about me. But now that Minmini has released, people have genuinely appreciated my work I feel. They’ll say that’s who she is but she is hardworking. A lot of people, who are talented, are struggling without opportunities and that will create frustration. Now, they’ll know I am not taking it lightly and that’s my goal. I want to introduce more people and support and uplift musicians as well. I believe I should talk less and let my work do the talking.”