Tujhe salaam Rahman says it all

A biography on A R Rahman seems a bit of an achievement, given the fact that his life has never been an open book.

So when writer-producer Nasreen Munni Kabir voiced her desire to pen the music director-singer's biography a good eight years ago, Rahman told her that he would mull over the idea. It took him five long years to come around.



And even when he did, making time for the book wasn't easy for him. Not bound by formalities, he would take off for a biryani during an interview session or go CD shopping whenever he got a free moment. The man, who seems to have finally opened up in A R Rahman - The Spirit of Music, gives CS a glimpse of the real him:

A new chapter
I knew that Nasreen had written about the lives of many heavyweights like Shah Rukh Khan and Lata Mangeshkar. So I thought that I could trust her with my life too. I hope the readers find something interesting in the book (laughs). Opening up to her wasn't that hard because she made me feel very comfortable. I have shared my struggles in the book that not many people are aware of.

There was a phase in my life at the start of my career when I was depressed and suicidal. I guess many of us experience situations when we feel that we've reached the dead-end. But it's right then you find that something extraordinary is awaiting you. I'm glad that I didn't take the easy way out and end my life. If I had, I wouldn't have been here talking about my life and achievements. But yes, many of you could have been saved from some bad music (laughs).

Difficult start
Anyone who wants to come up in life could draw a tip or two from my life. I always wanted to own a studio at the start of my career, and when I finally got one, I didn't have the money to invest in the equipment. Then my mother sold the little gold jewellery that she had to buy me a mixer. After that, there's been no looking back. I have learnt a lot from the women in my life. People say that I'm humble and if that is true, it's only because I've always been surrounded by women. I've grown up with three sisters, a mother and now I have two daughters. Women do have the knack of keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Oscar wild
I never thought that I would make it this far. I was very frustrated about the fact that we Indians never bagged any Oscars and I thought to myself that someone needed to get one. When I did manage to win, it just didn't feel like a personal achievement, it was a win for the country. Just being nominated is a great honour, and I'm not saying that because I didn't win any Oscars this time (laughs).