Before AR Rahman's tunes go public or is even presented to a filmmaker, the magic happens in his headphones. Filmmaker Mani Ratnam, longtime collaborator of the composer, says music sessions with Rahman today finish early and not go on till early mornings- as is always the case with him. Ratnam, whose chartbuster association with Rahman started with the 1992 hit Roja, detailed what is it actually like to be in the studio with Rahman, as the composer quietly works his way. In an interview with Galatta Plus, when asked if he adjusted easily having music sessions during the day to having them at night, the filmmaker replied, "Yeah actually. It is only now that he is nice to me and sends me early, around 10.30-11 PM." "Earlier we would do the sessions till 5.30 in the morning. What comes out at that time, sometimes it is so blissful. It is quiet, it's three in the morning and he works with his headphones on, so when you are there, you can't listen to a thing. Finally, he gets up, gives you the headphones and walks out!" said the director. To which Rahman replied, "But even that (working on headphones) has stopped now. I have become bolder." The composer said his insistence of working privately finds roots in his early days because of advertising. "Sometimes I don't want people to react immediately. This happened (the habit of working with headphones) because of advertising. All those young copywriters would come, and you would play just three notes and they'd go, 'Oh that sounds like Jana Gana Mana!' I realised working with my headphones on is the only way. So, I got used to that intimacy, like a mother's womb. So I create something and then give to people," Rahman stated. Rahman and Ratnam have reunited again for Ponniyin Selvan: II. The epic historical action adventure is an adaptation of Kalki Krishnamurthy's 1955 novel, Ponniyin Selvan. The film is scheduled to release on April 28.
