Chhaayaageet #277 - "You know Karan Johar is coming out with a romantic film?"

The actor and the filmmaker have launched a grand project. It is a period film. The music must belong to that era. But they need to ensure that the music is relatable to the audience of this era.

The filmmaker has parked himself in Chennai to be with the composer. The actor cannot join him but wants to ensure that he has a say in the music.

The filmmaker is operating on a short schedule. The music needs to be completed, songs need to be recorded, before they go on location for the shoot.

“Tune, tune, tune, where is my tune?” This is the constant refrain from the filmmaker to the composer.

The composer is not sure what to do. He is working at a feverish pace. He has some tunes that he has composed for another album. He puts that collection in front of the filmmaker.

“See if you like any of these,” he tells the filmmaker.

The filmmaker selects one.

“Oh, this will be perfect for the romantic song,” the filmmaker announces after listening to it a few times. The tune fits the lyrics perfectly.

Each day in the evening, when the composer and filmmaker have finalized the tune of a song, the filmmaker would return back to his hotel, and phone the actor. This would allow the actor in Mumbai to hear the tune and give his opinion. Each time, the actor would have one singular response, “Mind blowing.”

Today, after returning to the hotel, the filmmaker dials the actor in Mumbai.

“I have a song,” the filmmaker tells the actor.

“Let’s hear it,” the actor replies.

The filmmaker takes out the cassette player containing the tune and holds it close to the mouthpiece, and hits play.

In Mumbai, the actor presses his phone to his ear, as if that would make him listen to the tune coming out of the cassette player in the hotel room in Chennai to sound any better.

After the tune finishes playing, the filmmaker holds the phone back to his ear.

The actor says, “What is this? I don’t like it.”

The filmmaker is surprised. What happened today?

They discuss the tune.

The actor says, “This tune is too slow for a romantic song.”

The filmmaker sees the point. He had not considered the pace of the tune. He had been too involved in imagining the filming of the song. They decide to talk again the next day along with the composer.

Next day, the filmmaker reaches the composer’s studio in the afternoon. They get on a call with the actor to talk about this romantic song.

The actor repeats his opinion from the night before.

“This tune is too slow for a romantic song,” he voices again.

The composer tries to explain that it was a previously composed tune that the filmmaker had liked. The actor is in no mood to listen to the reasons.

“You know Karan Johar is coming out with a romantic film? What have you done to the romantic song of our film?” The actor asks sounding worried.

They discuss if they should change the tune and compose something completely new.

The filmmaker holds his ground. He has liked the tune a lot. There is silence.

“Can you just speed up the song,” the filmmaker tries to find a way out.

The composer listens to both of them. He assures them that he will give them exactly what they want.

He has recently gotten a new workstation with new software. It allows for time stretching. So the composer goes to work and makes the tune a little faster.

AR Rahman composed O Rey Chhori and the rest of the songs and music of Lagaan (2001), produced by Aamir Khan and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The song is sung by Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, and Vasundhara Das, and it is filmed on Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, and Rachel Shelley who plays the role of Elizabeth Russell who professes one-sided love for Aamir Khan’s character, Bhuvan.

The lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar. The English lyrics in the song, which are sung by Vasundhara Das, and filmed on Rachel Shelley, are written by Farhan and Zoya Akhtar.

Rahman had composed the tune of O Rey Chhori around the time he had composed many tunes for his album Maa Tujhe Salaam. Gowariker felt it would be the perfect tune for Gauri and Bhuvan’s romantic song. Rahman seamlessly masterfully mixed the compositions of Indian classical music with Western music in this song.

The soundtrack of Lagaan is highly acclaimed as one of Rahman’s best work.

Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar
Singers: Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Vasundhara Das
*ing: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Film: Lagaan (2001)