Monday,
November
26,
2007
AR
Rehman
made
an
impact
with
his
debut
in
1992,
although
not
many
believed
he
would
be
around
for
too
long.
Today,
he
has
become
the
heartbeat
of
the
nation.
He
chats
about
his
past,
present
and
future.
Q.
What
is
it
about
the
music
industry
that
makes
you
angry?
A.
I
have
stopped
getting
angry.
There
is
no
point
blaming
others.
I
believe
in
being
the
change,
not
the
observer.
One
person
can
inspire
others,
just
like
one
candle
can
light
a
million
candles.
Just
be
true
to
yourself.
The
Internet
helps
people
to
focus
on
their
objectives,
and
to
consolidate
elements
to
make
a
difference.
Q.
The
Internet
is
a
boon
and
a
bane,
what
with
free
downloads?
A.
The
Internet
is
like
your
mind.
It
can
be
filled
with
either
good
thoughts,
or
bad
thoughts,
or
both.
The
Internet
is
a
personal
thing.
Q.
How
do
you
strike
a
balance
between
South
Indian
films
and
Bollywood,
when
it
comes
to
your
work?
A.
It
is
terrifying,
trying
to
maintain
in
both.
I
am
working
in
a
team,
the
director
helps.
If
I
were
to
work
alone,
then
it
would
have
been
difficult.
Q.
Do
you
still
work
at
night?
A.
Not
anymore,
no.
Q.
What
are
your
forthcoming
Tamil
releases?
A.
There
is
one
film
named
Sakarkatti,
and
an
animated
film
named
Sultan
that
Rajnikanth's
daughter,
Saundarya,
is
making.
Q.
It
must
be
more
difficult
to
compose
music
for
an
animation
film.
A.
Not
really.
It
is
the
same
thing,
in
fact,
you
can
use
your
imagination
more
freely.
Q.
Now
that
you
have
Hollywood
films,
have
Tamil
and
Hindi
films
taken
a
back
seat?
A.
In
a
way,
yes.
I
used
to
do
six
to
seven
Tamil
movies,
and
three
to
four
Hindi
films,
annually.
I
have
reduced
my
work
by
half,
and
am
taking
things
easier.
There
is
much
less
stress.
Q.
The
dubbed
version
of
Sivaji
will
have
Hindi
songs
with
Tamil
tunes.
A.
Yes,
because
the
Tamil
culture
should
be
obvious.
We
are
not
trying
to
set
it
in
a
North
Indian
environment.
It
is
dubbed
only
so
that
people
can
understand.
Q.
What
are
the
other
releases
that
you
are
looking
forward
to?
A.
The
album,
'The
Lord
of
the
Rings'.
It
is
releasing
on
December
10,
and
it
is
going
to
be
a
huge
event.
Q.
Whom
do
you
like
better,
Rehman
the
music
director,
or
Rehman,
the
singer?
A.
That
is
a
difficult
question.
If
you
like
yourself
too
much,
then
you
get
into
trouble,
and
if
you
don't,
then
you
get
into
trouble
anyway.
So,
I
am
critical.
Q.
How
do
you
prevent
yourself
from
getting
too
complacent?
A.
I
have
always
been
clear
about
one
thing
–
I
am
just
an
instrument,
and
God
controls
me.
If
I
am
lazy,
just
sitting
in
one
place,
then
I
am
like
a
battery
that
has
not
been
charged.
There
has
to
be
excitement,
which
is
why
I
take
up
projects
that
are
exciting.
Q.
How
do
you
deal
with
critics?
A.
The
Internet
has
helped
a
lot
–
we
can
check
blogs,
and
see
what
people
have
written,
what
the
negatives
and
positives
are.
When
we
make
a
film
with
a
big
star,
we
have
to
make
sure
the
music
is
in
his
favour.
We
cannot
then
experiment.
Q.
How
do
you
adjust
to
the
different
environments
that
you
work
in?
A.
When
you
are
an
adult,
you
speak
in
varied
tones
to
your
child,
wife,
or
intellectual.
You
become
a
different
person
within
each
situation.
That
is
a
simple
analogy
for
the
way
I
work.
Q.
Tell
us
about
'The
Lord
of
the
Rings'.
A.
It
is
probably
one
of
the
most
complex
projects
that
I
have
been
involved
in.
It
is
good
composition.
The
whole
team
was
in
Chennai
recently
to
complete
the
mixing.
It
has
more
than
15
tracks.
Q.
There
are
rumours
of
differences
between
Aamir
Khan
and
you.
A.
Just
because
I
am
not
composing
his
next
film
does
not
mean
we
have
fallen
out.
Q.
The
music
of
'Elizabeth
–
The
Golden
Age'
seems
deliberately
loud.
A.
When
we
began,
the
music
sounded
very
arty,
and
I
felt
that
the
film
would
drag
if
we
continued
with
the
same
music.
The
film
itself
is
artistic,
so
the
pulsating,
throbbing
music
is
in
contrast
to
the
feel
of
the
music.
It
was
a
creative
decision
to
make
the
film
enjoyable.
Q.
What
are
your
other
forthcoming
films,
besides
Ghajini?
A.
There
are
a
few
–
Jane
Tu
Jane
Na,
Jodha
Akbar,
Yuvraj,
Aadab,
Dilli
6,
and
the
Hindi
version
of
Sivaji.
Q.
What
are
your
favourite
top
10
projects?
A.
Very
difficult
to
choose,
when
it
is
your
own
work,
but
here
goes
–
Roja,
Bombay,
Taal,
Lagaan,
Zubeida,
Rang
De
Basanti,
Dil
Se,
and
Rangeela