Top 86 A.R. Rahman Quotes
#1. That's a sound design thing but then we wanted to do music that would not disturb it and at the same time drive it.
A.R. Rahman
#2. My mother insisted that I pursue music. I rented out my father's musical equipment and earned some money. As a child, I wasn't sure about a career goal, but I was always fascinated by electronic gadgets, specially musical equipment.
A.R. Rahman
#3. I am the kind of person who does not like to carry baggage. In fact, I don't go back and listen to my own music. I believe in closing chapters and moving forward. That's what gives me peace.
A.R. Rahman
#4. I compose music for films, and by the grace of God, I've got a few awards. That's it.
A.R. Rahman
#5. The demand in India is to have a hit, which becomes a promotion for the movie and makes people come to the theater. You have five songs and different promotions based on those. But when I do Western films, the need for originality is greater. Then I become very conscious about the writing.
A.R. Rahman
#6. The more I compose, the more I know that I don't know it all. I think it's a good way to start. If you think you know it all, the work becomes a repetition of what you've already done. I try to make sure that I don't repeat my music.
A.R. Rahman
#7. While other creators make a big show of their art Mani Sir makes it look as though anyone can do what he does.
A.R. Rahman
#8. My biggest dream to connect people through music has come true. In a world where there are enough reasons to separate us, the Oscars have unified us.
A.R. Rahman
#9. If there is no criticism, you become lazy. But it should be constructive, and it should be the truth. If it's biased and there's no truth in it, then I don't care about it. If it's true, it helps me grow.
A.R. Rahman
#10. Comedy is a universal language. I grew up watching Nagesh, Surilirajan, Thenga Srinivasan and S.V. Shekhar's comedies. And, of course, Charlie Chaplin! These artists are so blessed: they can make other people happy.
A.R. Rahman
#11. I love great lyrics, and I love the way it could shape a tune into a very unpredictable one, and I also like taking a great melody and putting lyrics into it.
A.R. Rahman
#12. Compared with other Indian film composers, I only write about six movies a year. Others write up to 60.
A.R. Rahman
#13. The music had to be rooted, and yet had to branch out,like the wild imagination of a child.
A.R. Rahman
#14. I was famous from the age of 13, and after a while you become immune to it - in a good way. You look at positives and what you can do with it.
A.R. Rahman
#15. I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my CDs?' And the process of answering these questions through music follows. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it backfires.
A.R. Rahman
#16. That was a very different emotion and I felt Dido's words would be good and I had a template with my voice in it. Then, when he heard it, he wanted both our voices together in it and that's the scene when he sees the boy and then he gets charged to go on that final cutting effort.
A.R. Rahman
#17. It's true that I love to connect with my fans on the social networking sites, but I try not to go overboard, ever. I just give people a peek into my mind space, but never bombard them with my tweets.
A.R. Rahman
#18. My list would be Russia, Morocco, Turkey, and South Africa I'm doing which is somewhere I've wanted to go, Australia, Japan maybe, and China, if I have the energy to go and play at all those places.
A.R. Rahman
#19. I was a common man, and I will always remain a common man. No amount of stardom will ever consume my soul. Money comes, money goes. Fame comes, fame goes. I believe every human being is a celebrity in their own right.
A.R. Rahman
#20. I think I would like to discover a new root where people don't get bored with people singing boring lines but something exciting. That'd be interesting.
A.R. Rahman
#21. If music wakes you up, makes you think, heals you ... then, I guess the music is working.
A.R. Rahman
#22. If you respect a language and culture, it shows in your work.
A.R. Rahman
#23. A musician is a professional, whether he or she is successful or not. The profession itself must be regarded as a stable job.
A.R. Rahman
#24. Wisdom comes from within. Knowledge is acquired and can sometimes put a screen on your wisdom.
A.R. Rahman
#25. The idea of music is to liberate the listener and lead him to a frame where he feels he is elevated.
A.R. Rahman
#26. There is only one of the two that can reside in our hearts, GOD or ego. If GOD is in ego is out.
A.R. Rahman
#27. I usually work on a film soundtrack for two years, turning in a song every few months, and that keeps my creative energy high, because I'm constantly rotating projects. The trick is to make sure I don't work too hard and get exhausted.
A.R. Rahman
#28. Beautiful film music can be made relevant to any period.
A.R. Rahman
#29. You can't be without passion. Passion means the possessiveness to be the best.
A.R. Rahman
#30. I don't even know where mine [Oscar award] is. My mother has hidden it because everybody who comes in wants to take a photograph of it. So what she's done is she put it inside a suitcase somewhere.
A.R. Rahman
#31. Certain things are done intentionally opposite - like there's no sound at the end or synthesizers or all that stuff. Anything that drowns the movie, no. Anything that makes you sit up and watch it, yes. So, some are expecting a very sad theme going on.
A.R. Rahman
#32. It's like driving your car. If you drive too fast on the highway, you will topple, so you better maintain your speed. Life is similar to that, and that's the way you have to control your head.
A.R. Rahman
#33. I feel blessed and humbled that people have loved my music. Nothing would be possible without their acceptance.
A.R. Rahman
#34. People Expect Something New From Me All The Time.And That's Good It Keeps Me On The Edge
A.R. Rahman
#35. For me, there is no day or night for music. I often work through the night - without phone calls disturbing me.
A.R. Rahman
#36. I think I can get away, sometimes, with walking in the streets and not getting noticed. I like that. I want my work to get noticed, not me. And it's slowly getting there, which is good.
A.R. Rahman
#37. Each one of us has our own evolution of life, and each one of us goes through different tests which are unique and challenging. But certain things are common. And we do learn things from each other's experience. On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination.
A.R. Rahman
#38. The best way would be education and kids and all that stuff and then education and working education comes through. Then I started a music school and the music school now teaches kids to play the violin and the viola.
A.R. Rahman
#39. So long as you do it truthfully, music is not to be judged.
A.R. Rahman
#40. I grew up on Bach and Beethoven, and now I'm listening to more modern composers who I can't even name. But since I'm constantly doing music, it's difficult to have that quality time to listen to music and do classical stuff.
A.R. Rahman
#41. All my life I have had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I am here
A.R. Rahman
#42. Dear Mr. and Mrs. Obama, Thank you for sending me Christmas and New Year greetings yet again. Welcome back to India ... Would have loved to host you at my concert in Baroda on the 26th!
A.R. Rahman
#43. These are the Rad (?) instruments that are dying out in India. So, it's going well and I think now we are increasing the number of kids we have taught and of course we are helping out with other things too. It's based in India now. [The idea is to] perfect it in one place and then we'll expand.
A.R. Rahman
#44. Rather than making money I believe in making people happy, all other things are secondary. Money isn't important, creative satisfaction is
A.R. Rahman
#45. Sometimes, a remix is good because it reaches a whole new generation. But when it gets too much, it's irritating. Also, the original composer needs to be credited properly.
A.R. Rahman
#46. I like to see a film and then start scoring it in my mind while doing something unrelated. You just grasp a film and start working, and something unpredictable comes out from a third element. The mind, the more active it is, the more productive it is.
A.R. Rahman
#47. It's a very simple process. He [Danny Boyl] comes in the tube (subway) and then he sits with me for 3 hours every evening and then I work on something. Then later, if he likes something, I put it even more perfectly. I tweak stuff. So this happened for 3 or 4 weeks and the music was done.
A.R. Rahman
#48. Music is the only passion I shamelessly indulge in. However, for recreation I enjoy watching movies. 'Wizard of Oz' was the first film I ever saw, followed by the 'Bond' movies. I also watch a lot of World cinema through DVDs mostly brought by one of my best friends who's now based in Toronto.
A.R. Rahman
#49. Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. To be successful, it is also very important to be humble and never let fame or money travel to your head.
A.R. Rahman
#50. I think music, in my opinion, is not about motivation in the way it's - it's not a running base. It's art. And my whole philosophy of music is different. It's almost like cooking and serving to people, seeing them smile and enjoying the food, really.
A.R. Rahman
#51. My kids miss me when I'm away, but I don't mind living out of a suitcase. The U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Iraq ... it's such a thrill meeting people of different cultures, learning about and from them. It's changed my perception about life, humanity and spirituality.
A.R. Rahman
#52. I basically love classical music. I love a lot of musicians playing together and the whole culture of that, whether it's Indian or it's Western.
A.R. Rahman
#53. There were basically three themes. One was the sun theme which is the guitar when he'd get sun on his leg and it comes again in the end. And there's of course the lullaby which Dido sang, "If I Rise." And then there's this driving guitar which is the motivation theme.
A.R. Rahman
#54. Your inner voice is the voice of divinity. To hear it, we need to be in solitude, even in crowded places.
A.R. Rahman
#55. I like music that is able to stir my soul. My music is a spiritual exercise
A.R. Rahman
#56. It had a language. It's a very emotional language that only exists in India, that part of [inaudible] so we wanted to use that. I had two versions - one with my voice and one with the girl's voice. But he preferred the girl's voice and he preferred my voice with an [inaudible].
A.R. Rahman
#57. I divide criticism into two categories - one coming from those who understand music, who are worthy of being critical because they are knowledgeable about what they are saying; and then there is another category of people who would criticise you anyway, whether your work is good or bad.
A.R. Rahman
#58. Music is all about transporting people; speaking a language which languages fail to express.
A.R. Rahman
#59. My music is mostly for the music. And it gives the liberty to do anything which I want. And nobody limits me to one genre of music. But I learn from life and I try to give back to life, in a way, whether it's the thought of the song or whether it's the approach to the arrangement or anything.
A.R. Rahman
#60. I didn't see it coming at all. I just wanted to have this new experience with this team of Danny Boyle, Christian (Colson) and Simon (Beaufoy). It was like an excursion for me from my normal routine and the Indian movies I do and that helped.
A.R. Rahman
#61. Bollywood music is definitely a big part of Indian music and can be a great way to introduce people to the sound. But I hope to continue to incorporate other types of Indian music into my work.
A.R. Rahman
#63. Sometimes I intentionally cut it off. I just want to be in silence, especially when I'm traveling. I watch movies without sound.
A.R. Rahman
#64. When you do something with a lot of honesty, appetite and commitment, the input reflects in the output.
A.R. Rahman
#65. I'm continuing to learn more about music - it's an ocean, and you can never really say that you know everything. I'm grateful that I'm still living and making music among the greats.
A.R. Rahman
#66. I am a big admirer of Sachin and his personality. He is a source of inspiration for the country and just looking at his photographs gives a lot of positive vibes.
A.R. Rahman
#67. I want to go beyond the restrictions of language, religion and caste, and music is the only thing that allows me to do that.
A.R. Rahman
#69. Music is language itself. It should not have any barriers of caste, creed, language or anything. Music is one, only cultures are different. Music is the language of languages. It is the ultimate mother of languages.
A.R. Rahman
#70. I wanted to be part of something bigger
A.R. Rahman
#71. I am a friend when I need to be a friend, a father when I need to be a father, a musician when music calls. I switch roles accordingly.
A.R. Rahman
#72. I love the voice - it's the most perfect instrument ever heard. It's God given.
A.R. Rahman
#73. Music is something that takes you to a world which is very different from the world of hatred,jealousy, and all those negative emotions
A.R. Rahman
#74. I have too many responsibilities and principles. There's no time for 'guilty' pleasures.
A.R. Rahman
#75. While my mother wanted me to be a musician, I wanted to become an electronic engineer.
A.R. Rahman
#76. I'm a Sufi Muslim, I would say. I believe in using the medium to create a good vibration because art is so important to society. Some projects I don't do because I feel that it's going to create a bad vibe. I don't do propaganda films that are anti another religion, anti-Muslim or anti-Hindu.
A.R. Rahman
#77. Music knows no barrier of age or culture. It isn't about being politically correct or even making a statement. Music is what appeals to the ears and touches your soul.
A.R. Rahman
#78. I don't want to expose my personal life. It's best that people know me for my work. My family doesn't want to be surrounded by cameras. We want to live like any other family.
A.R. Rahman
#79. Be original and find your inner voice. The rest will follow.
A.R. Rahman
#80. Your best success comes after your greatest disapponitment
A.R. Rahman
#81. I believe that whatever comes at a particular time is a blessing from God.
A.R. Rahman
#82. When I initially read the script, it goes inside and comes out different things even without commenting on any stuff. And then, those pieces are taken out and then spread out through the movie.
A.R. Rahman
#83. A good film demands its own score, and if you are a musician, your conscience will never allow you to do something mediocre for a good film.
A.R. Rahman
#84. The search is more important than the destination
A.R. Rahman
#85. No regrets. There is no time for that. Regret is boring.
A.R. Rahman
#86. After a point of time, when you get success and fame, money and everything, the purpose of life has to be redefined. For me, I think that purpose is to build bridges. Artists can do that very easily, more than politicians.
A.R. Rahman
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