On Tuesday night, I switched off the radio at 8:00 pm after listening to Rahmania. And my phone starts calling me with my Hai Rama BGM ringtone. I pick up the phone and I'm in for a total surprise. Raihanah ma'am was on the line, and she asked me if I could come to the studio the next day!!! Oh My God!!!!!!! It was a real surprise! She needn't have spoken to me... She could have asked one of the sound engineers to speak to me... but no, such is her simplicity!
I was asked to come to the studio at 4:00 pm sharp. I was there by 3:30 itself, and was received by Mr. Radhan who is the sound-engineer for the show and it turned out that he was a hardcore Rahmaniac too!
Raihanah came at 4 pm sharp! After exchange of pleasantries and clicking a few snaps, we set down to decide on what we would talk about. I had prepared some 4 pages of stuff to talk, neatly printed out and thus surprising Raihanah, who, with her classic laugh, remarked "Ivlo prepared-aa vandhirukkaru... Innikku enakku velai-ye illai nu nenaikkaren... Naan late-aa've vandhirukkalaam!" ("He's come so prepared, I have nothing to do.... I could have walked in late today!!!")
So, I was just chatting with her till the show started. Rahman's simplicity is well known to everyone. I could find the same trait in his sister too. She was so down-to-earth talking to and everyone chatting so freely!
Once inside the studio, she made me feel so comfortable as this was the first time I was gonna be on Air. I was explained the process, the way the team functioned for the show, etc. The first 'link' was well planned, in terms of what we would say and what question would be asked etc. But, the rest of the show was more or less ad hoc!!
I was kinda hesitant to ask if they would air the duet version of Kannathil Muthamittal song that I made. When I told Raihanah about this, she asked me if it was a remix. I assured her it was not, and told her I would never tamper with ARR's music. When Raihanah listened to it, she immediately agreed to use it in the show, and I finally dedicated that song, during the show, to A.R.Rahman himself (Thanks to the Dryad for reminding me to dedicate it to him!!)
On the show, I spoke about how we Bangalore Fans met ARR at midnite before Bangalore concert, about ARR's unreleased music that Shivmani played for me from his mobile, about Pt. Vishwamohan Bhatt playing for Rahman's Narumugaiye! But there was loads and loads more to speak... so little time But, yeah.. I'll never be content! I can go on and on about Rahman!!
This will always be one of my most unforgettable moments ever!
(pic in the prev post)
Ani
coooooool dude .....thats one hell of an amazing time u must hv had ...
congrats ....
-A