Chief minister M Karunanidhi had one stipulation when he penned the theme song for the World Classical Tamil Conference to be held from June 23 to 27 at Coimbatore. He wanted double-Academy Award winner AR Rahman to set it to tune.
“I told Kanimozhi, Kalanithi and Dayanidhi who were with me at the time, that Kani should ensure that Rahman scores the music. She has achieved that and now my lyrics and his music have fused,†said Karunanidhi on Saturday, after releasing the CD of the theme song.
The song, to which Rahman also has lent his voice, is a mix of contemporary, classical, folk and rap, and once it was played it had the crowd demanding an encore. The song, the chief minister said, is evocative of cultures, social mores and practices found in Tamil literature spanning centuries.
Referring to the opening line of the song which says, “By birth all are equal,†the chief minister said problems arise only after birth. However, everyone should be inspired by the life of Rahman, who overcame personal odds with his unparalleled hard work, he said.
“If Rahman is a pole star in the Muslim community it is because of his hard work, and I myself, who was born in Thirukuvalai, a village which does not even exist on the map, am here today because of my hard work,†Karunanidhi said. He also said that the news of Rahman winning the Oscar had cured him of pain, since he was in the hospital at the time.
Nearly 250 scholars from 22 countries would be attending the World Classical Tamil Conference, and the theme song would officially be the curtain raiser to the event. Director Gautham Menon, who picturised the song, said the lyrics reminded him of many stages in life, such as a child’s first day of schooling, a newly wedded couple entering home and boys and girls indulging in sports. Rahman, during his speech, said three generations of singers, from TM Soundarajan to Chinmayi, had lent their voices to the theme song. “Tamil is a universal language, do not try to fit it into a circle,†the composer said.