For someone who protects his privacy fiercely, it wasn’t surprising that three guards were manning the door to the room where A R Rahman was seated before the launch of Rhymeskool—the album of nursery rhymes by the students of his music school KM Music Conservatory. However, when we entered the room from the back door hoodwinking the burly guards, the music maestro was more amused than miffed.
Rahman was last seen in Mumbai two weeks ago at Raavan’s music launch. What makes the film exceptional is that he has again teamed up with Mani Ratnam, the veteran filmmaker who gave him his first break in films. After a long association of 10 films, it is only natural that the two reclusive artistes have developed a mutual, almost instinctive, understanding. “Mani doesn’t reject anything—he’s not the kind of guy who’ll say ‘I don’t like this’. You have to go by experience and see it in his eyes what he means,†Rahman says.