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It's showtime, folks!
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It will be A.R. Rahman's first performance in Chennai, his hometown, tomorrow, when the curtains go up at the India Pistons Grounds, Taramani. SAVITHA GAUTAM speaks to some of the people behind the show.
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"IT IS a show that has been a long time coming," says director Mani Ratnam. "A rocker of a show, that's what it will be," says playback singer Srinivas. "It will be an audio visual spectacle, never before seen or heard in the city," says sound engineer H. Sridhar.
Well, there's been a lot of hype for over a month now and there is anticipation in the air. For, it is a show that Chennaivasis have been looking forward to... for ten years. A.R. Rahman in a live concert.
When the curtains go up tomorrow evening (7.00 p.m.), for the "Unity of Light" show at the India Pistons Cricket Ground in Taramani, it will be a moment that will go down in the city's history as a memorable one.
Allah Rakha Rahman, who shot to fame with his evergreen melodies for Mani Ratnam's "Roja" in 1992, is a name that spells magic, be it in Kashmir or Kanyakumari (pardon the cliché).
Currently on a world tour, he has successfully wooed music lovers in Kolkata (he sang the Bengali version of "Mustafa Mustafa". It was translated by Usha Uthup) and Hyderabad (there were Telugu versions of hit tracks and the added attraction was the participation of the legend, Lata Mangeshkar). It's Chennai's turn now.
Mani Ratnam states, "In fact, Rahman had originally not planned a concert in Chennai. But when we approached him, he agreed at once." Ratnam, who is helping in the event management, is all praise for the support offered by the Government, the Police department and corporates in putting up a show of such magnitude.
The concert will kickstart a crusade - that of the Mahesh Memorial Trust. Formed to lend a helping hand to cancer patients, specially children, the trust was started in memory of music director Mahesh Mahadevan, who succumbed to the deadly disease a few months ago. Mahesh had a dream... to help fellow sufferers. It remained unfulfilled during his lifetime. But his family and friends would not let that dream fade. Says Chitra, his wife, "Mahesh smiled through his illness. He always wanted to help cancer patients. In fact, one of the objectives of the trust is to create greater awareness about the disease." As part of the efforts, Rahman spent some time with young patients at the Cancer Institute, a couple of days ago.
Remembers Mani Ratnam, who is one of the trustees, "Mahesh was a great guy who was full of life. He loved people and could relate to everybody. He was a fighter till the end." Playback singer Srinivas, who has been part of most Rahman shows, remembers Mahesh fondly. In fact, it was Mahesh who helped him find a foothold in the film industry. Says he, "This is an important concert for me as it is about two special people — Mahesh and Rahman."
The line of performers at the show reads like a directory of who's who of playback singing - S.P. Balasubramanium, S. Janaki, Srinivas, Unnikrishnan, Hariharan, Chitra, Sujatha and Sadhana Sargam, to name but a few. Many of the younger singers have been introduced by Rahman. Then there are supporting artistes such as flautist Navin, violinist Kalyan, percussionist Sivamani, the string and brass sections, and of course, the vocalists. The repertoire will be a combination of the old and the latest, from "Roja" to "Laagan", and perhaps "Bombay Dreams".
Says singer Sujatha, whose rendition of "Netru Illadha Maatram" won her the National Award, "I am really excited about the concert. There's a lot of positive energy all round. What's more, the songs being performed are the original versions." She is happy to be part of something that is for a cause. She adds, "Rahman always tells us, `Don't worry too much about the singing. Just enjoy what you are doing.' That's what we hope to do."
"Since it is Rahman's first show in his hometown, the expectations are very high. We have to produce a top quality show, and therefore the pressure on the support team is very high," says the National Award winning Sridhar.
As for the cause, it is something that is close to Sridhar's heart as Mahesh was his first cousin. "I have grown up listening to Mahesh play the guitar. I have learnt a lot from him."
"We are hoping to present an audio visual spectacle that will be remembered for a long time to come. And like Rahman says, it's payback time now. This is a way of showing our gratitude for all the support fans have given us." Special equipment have been flown in for the show. Explains Sridhar, "The best systems that are used by some of the top rock artistes such as Bob Dylan will be utilised in this concert. The vertical array of speakers will ensure even and clean sound. We want the music to sound as good as it does when recorded in a studio."
How different will the Chennai show be in comparison with the Kolkata and Hyderabad ones? Says Srinivas, "To begin with, 80 per cent of the songs will be in Tamil. And at the risk of repeating oneself, this is the first time Chennai will hear one of its famous musicians perform live."
The show is being choreographed by up-and-coming dance director Terence Louis, while the lighting will be handled by two experts, one from the U.S. and the other from the U.K. Rapport Global Systems is event-managing the show.
Rahman will be off on his world tour following the show to perform in Dubai, London, New York and Los Angeles.
As for you readers,will you be one among the 40,000 who are expected at the venue?
(Tickets priced at Rs. 3,000, Rs. 2,000, Rs. 1,250, Rs. 750, Rs. 500 and Rs. 250, are available at the HDFC Bank, Landmark, Odyssey, Higginbothams, Global Adjustments, Crafts and Weaves, Foodworld outlets, Marrybrown and Konica.)
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