IS RAHMAN REALLY GREAT?

A. R. Rahman

While the Bollywood fans across India are jubilant over the kind of success music composer A R Rahman has achieved by winning the prestigious Golden Globe award and getting nominated for the Oscars along with Gulzar for their work in Slumdog Millionaire, there are some people within the entertainment industry itself who are not exactly amused by their global success. These include the legendary ghazal singer Jagjit Singh. Indicating that he did not feel that Rahman was as great a composer as he is made out to be, Jagjit Singh challenged him by saying, “If he really has it in him, he should try composing ghazals.” Jagjit Singh further went to the extent of saying, “I do not consider Rahman’s work as original music but rather a copy of western tunes.”

Its not only Jagjit Singh but along with him there are a few others who do not feel that what Rahman has achieved is all that great. Playback singer Sonu Nigam while in a way echoing Jagjit Singh views said, “Though Rehman is very talented, I agree with Jagjit Singh that the kind of music Rahman usually composes, which is popularly known as film music, is not the real music.” There are others like playback singer Alka Yagnik, who feels “Being situational Bollywood limits a composer’s creative side and he has to limit his work as per the need of the script.”

True, Rahman’s music rather than being original and pure music may be something called techno fusion but the fact remains that in this materialist world where whatever sells is good music, finding a costumer for A R Rahman’s music is much easier than finding it for Jagjit Singh’s music.

So Mr. Jagjit Singh, you need to accept that times are changing and you need to change accordingly. And, in today’s time, rather than the classy music, it is the techno, fusion and hip-hop music that is great, simply because it sells.

Image Source: Rahmaniac

Tagged as: A.R. Rahman, ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, Golden Globe award, Gulzar, Jagjit Singh, Oscar, Oscars nomination, Playback singer Sonu Nigam, Slumdog Millionaire, Sonu Nigam