Recently, while A R Rahman recorded the background music of Jhootha Hi Sahi at a world-famous studio in Hollywood, LA (the mecca for everything music), he had an unexpected visitor.
It was none other than the dazzling Monica Mancini, the daughter of the legendary Pink Panther composer Henri Mancini.
Double Grammy-nominee Monica Mancini, whose father Henri is to film scores what Rahman is to film music, wanted to meet the Slumdog Millionaire composer, apparently for a collaboration in the near future. Monica’s interest in Rahman’s music extends beyond the academic. Like her legendary father, Rahman’s background scores for films are as exemplary as his vocals. Monica apparently wants to carry forward her father’s legacy through a collaborative album with Rahman .
While Rahman refrained from talking about his meeting with the Mancini heir-apparent (Rahman is off the press until the Commonwealth Games get over) the Jhootha Hi Sahi director Abbas Tyrewala confirmed the meeting. “Yeah, Monica Mancini did drop in to meet us. Actually, her husband Greg played drums for our score. That’s how she got to know about Rahman’s presence in LA.”
Abbas said he was unable to give details of Monica’s conversation with Rahman.
Says the director, “I was too excited about recording in the same studio where everyone from the Beatles to Louis Armstrong have recorded.”