Rahman's Raag Malhar

A R Rahman shoots global video for water conservation in Filmistan Studios; gives company to U2, Shakira

After his anti-poverty anthem for the UN, A R Rahman is now shooting a music video on water conservation, which will be aired on the web.

Other performers in the webcast titled Moving Stars And Earth For Water include U2, Peter Gabriel and Shakira.

Oscar winner Rahman has based his video on his National Award winning Tamil film track Vellai Pookal.

The 3.40-minute video will be a part of the 120-minute Moving Stars And Earth For Water. Kicked off by the Canadian foundation One Drop, the webcast hopes to raise worldwide awareness on water conservation.

"I always rely on my instincts for music. I chose this track too because I felt it fit the theme," said Rahman.

The video's set in Filmistan Studios is all white. Rahman sports an all-white ensemble and it's evident that he has also crafted the message of peace into the project.

Said Deepak Gattani, founder of Rapport Global, who is directing the video, "The song speaks to today's generation, which is also why we plan to include kids in the shoot."

Added Rahman, "Now there's a 30 per cent water cut even in Mumbai, isn't it? I remember how almost everybody used to carry pots on the street to fill water in Chennai," recalling the drought in Chennai during the '80s and early '90s.

Vellai Pookal

Vellai Pookal (White flowers) is a track in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Kannathil Muthamittal (2002).

It was written by Vairamuthu MD and composed by A R Rahman.

The first couple of lines of the song, when translated, run: White flowers make the world bloom/ Let the Earth, which is splitting apart, rise for peace.

Courtesy:mid-day.com

Rajini hails Vairamuthu

Kaviyarasu Vairamuthu is truly a magician of lyrics. His abundant literary works and countless musical compositions are priceless treasures of Tamil cinema.

Recently the great poet and lyricist had impressed our Superstar Rajinikanth. Vairamuthu has penned the lyrics for few songs in Rajni’s ‘Endhiran’. Endhiran, meaning Robot, tells the story of a man who invents a robot. To suit the situation, Vairamuthu had written that as the robot is invented by a man, it has ‘father tongue’ and not ‘mother tongue’. Rajnikanth was bowled over this and wondered at Vairamuthu’s intelligence. A humble Vairamuthu said that even the director Shankar and Superstar were to share the appreciation for this line.

Well, we all are highly impressed with you sir, for all the memorable songs you have given so far.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Vairamuthu's son in Endhiran

Here is yet another interesting snippet about Rajini's Endhiran - The Robot. Leading lyricist Vairamuthu's son Madhan Gorkey is going to make his debut with the help of Superstar Rajini and director Shankar.

It is really a dream gift for the recently married Madhan Gorkey. Things aren’t simple when you’re fixed for a great task in the superstar’s film. Earlier, it was Vairamuthu who was supposed to pen all the songs for Endhiran.

But in course of time, the versatile lyricist suggested to Shankar and Rajnikanth about his son Gorkey and got the green signal from both of them.

At the moment, nothing has been revealed about the song for which Gorky will be penning. Looks like it would be a romantic duet song for which Rahman has plans about roping in the best unheard voice from Bollywood.
Courtesy: oneindia.in

Rahman has won for his simplicity, sincerity: 'Roja' lyricist

Noted Tamil film lyricist Vairmauthu, who has penned songs for A R Rahman, today attributed the maestro's double Oscar victory to his "simplicity" and "sincerity".
"I am really proud as an Indian for what Rahman has achieved in this young age," Vairamuthu, who penned lyrics for Rahman's first movie 'Roja', said.

"He has made every Indian, Tamil and Chennaiite proud with his unparallelled feat," he told PTI after Rahman won the Oscars for Best Original Music and Best Song for his compositions in "Slumdog Millionaire".

Vairamuthu has penned lyrics for 90 per cent of the songs for which Rahman has scored music, including "Kannathil Muthamittal", "Jeans", "Uyire", "Mudalvan", "Alaipayuthae" and a number of Tamil movies.

"As a lyricist, who has been associated with Rahman for the past two decades, I say that it is a prize for his sincerity, dedication towards work and simplicity," Vairamuthu said.

He also recalled a recent incident when he called up Rahman to congratulate him for his 'Golden Globe' win.

"I asked him what time I can come and greet him. He didn't say anything and kept the phone. In the next ten minutes he was at my home. That is Rahman," Vairamuthu said. PTI


Courtesy: ptinews.com

Vairamuthu’s remarks about Hindi!

Lyricist Vairamuthu is a busy man these days. He has his hands full with a number of projects including some prestigious projects like Robot, Marma Yogi, Soundarya Rajinikanths’ Sultan – The Warrior and Mani Ratnam’s yet-to-titled film. In fact Vairamuthu has already penned two songs for Robot and all the seven songs for Mani’s film.

Amazingly, he had completed all those seven songs in five days time! The buzz in the industry is that Vairmuthu’s lyrics for Mani Ratnam’s film are far too superior to Hindi lyricist Gulzar’s lyrics. Reacting to this comment, Vairamuthu said that though Gulzar is a great poet, Tamil is a finer language when compared to Hindi.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rahman attends premiere

A R Rahman rarely steps out of his studio in Chennai. But on Thursday evening he made an exception to attend the Chennai premiere of the critically acclaimed German film The Lives of Others at Sathyam Cinemas.

The film is being screened at Sathyam as part of their "pure cinema" and the Oscar Winner (Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, 2007) is the right choice.


The film is being distributed in India by Rahman's good friend Bharath Bala, who made all the arrangements at the venue. Among the guests at the premiere there was poet Vairamuthu, who said it was one of the most moving films in his life. Rahman sat through the 2 hours 20 minute film which had English subtitles, and at the end, gave a standing ovation.

Courtesy: timesofIndia.com

The music of ‘Sultan The Warrior’

‘Sultan The Warrior’, the hi-tech and novel attempt on celluloid by Superstar Rajinikanth’s daughter, is growing in a fast pace with 20 per cent of the movie is completed.

More exciting news about the first ever 3D animation feature film in India is that the music wizard A.R. Rahman has so far composed two songs for the movie. As director Soundarya informed earlier, the film has all the ingredients of a Superstar flick, including the intro song for the Superstar. The song, penned by veteran lyricist Vairamuthu and sung by S.P. Balasubramaniam, is all set to enthrall the Rajini fans.

The other song is a duet song, which is again penned and sung by Vairamuthu and SPB respectively.

It is worth recalling that most of the intro songs in Rajini films, sung by SPB have become huge hits. The combination of ARR, SPB, Vairamuthu, and Rajini has rocked in films like ‘Muthu’ and ‘Padayappa’. We hope that the combination would recreate the magic in the animation film as well.

Courtesy: Indiaglitz.com

Shruti Hassan in Sultan?

Sultan the warrior, the animated film being directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth and produced by Ochre studios in association with Adlabs is shaping up at a fast pace. The film has many firsts to its credit. Rajnikanth is the first Indian star to have been animated. Music is being scored by A R Rahman and two songs have been penned by Kavi

Perarasu Vairamuthu, out of which one will be the opening number and the other one is a duet. Recording of the songs have been done under tight wraps. It has also been alleged that these two tracks have been recorded very innovatively where creativity will be at its best and unique. Whispers floating in the industry also suggest that Shruti Hassan has sung a song in Sultan. Insiders reveal that the film is sure to be liked by kids as well as adults.

Courtesy: Behindwoods.com

Sultan the Warrior: First 3D animated feature film

Ecstatic Soundarya, the younger daughter of Superstar Rajinikanth launched the theatrical trailer of "Sultan of Warrior" India's biggest 3D animation film on January 13 in Chennai.

This 40 crore film is directed by Soundarya and Produced by Ocher in partnership with Adlabs.

The flamboyant aor agreed to do the film on the pretext of her daughter, under whose direction the film has promises to keep the expectation of huge fan following Rajinikanth.

With this movie Rajinikanth will script his name to be the first superhero to act in an animated film made in India or South East Asia.

Both the father and daughter are newcomers for one is going to be the first to do the animated film while his daughter is debuting with “Sultan of Warrior” and according to her the film is a ‘daughter’s gift to a father.’

“And with this, we hope to set a benchmark for Indian animation. There have been animation films before in India but, not of quality that we are trying to achieve with this movie,” she added.

“My father is happy and proud that I am a director. And I am proud of directing him,” she said.

The film has four songs written by Vairamuthu and A.R. Rehman scores the music.

India entertainment industry unknown to this concept will get a first hand experience which promises to break the myth that only Hollywood can deliver good animated movie. The film will be released by the end of the year in 12 different languages.

Courtesy: NewstrackIndia.com

“Tresses don’t make a Rahman”

Isai Kaatru was the name of the album composed by Mohammed Rizwan and produced by Amish Kumar. The music album has lyrics by Vairamuthu and Pon.Murugesan who released the album with much fanfare at a gala event yesterday. While addressing the gathering at the function Vairamuthu was all praise for the composer for coming up with some melodious numbers that have maintained the purity of the lyrics.

He later made a request to filmmakers, which he corrected with a note of caution that music launches should hitherto be called Songs launch which alone would be appropriate as it is only songs that are being launched at audio release functions and the lyricists would only then feel duly honored alongside the composers. He even had a word of advice for upcoming music composers who sport long tresses that it is not tresses that make a person a great composer like Rahman but one’s compositions. He was all praise for the lyrics of Pon.Murugesan who had penned the other songs in the album and said that such music albums are going to be the future of Tamil music as they tend to retain the quality of the lyrics and they do not have to bank on visuals, as in he case of movies, to give it the necessary appeal.

Courtesy: Behindwoods.com