Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, a regular at the Cannes Film Festival, recently visited the Bharat Pavilion at Cannes 2024 to support the upcoming music documentary, Headhunting to Beatboxing. The film follows the Naga tribe in Nagaland as they experience a musical renaissance. In a recent interview with The Times of India, Rahman shared his insights on India’s growing presence at the prestigious film festival and the importance of global representation. Acknowledging India’s recent achievements, including documentary wins and Grammy Awards, Rahman emphasised the need for improvement in fiction films.
With the Indian film, All We Imagine As Light, competing for the Palme d’Or after a 30-year hiatus, Rahman expressed optimism about the country’s progress. He advised Indian filmmakers to examine their work from a global perspective, stating, that desi makers should start looking at cinema through a Western lens. The composer said only if Indian filmmakers brought a “global lens” to their work, they will be able to understand “how to tell our stories” in a manner that can be enjoyed by audiences worldwide.
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AR Rahman further highlighted that he is witnessing change as far as stories and films are concerned with young directors at the helm of this transformation. He added that he is confident that these directors know how to make “movies from India” that can travel across the world and resonate with cinema lovers globally.
The “Jai Ho” composer identified focus, smart scriptwriting, and understanding the cultural aspects that resonate with international audiences as key challenges for Indian filmmakers, stating that hard work alone is “not enough”. He underscored that filmmakers must understand aspects of Indian culture that they want to represent through cinema and would fascinate the world. Rahman elaborated that simply “content” or “talent” is not sufficient for Indian cinema to go global, citing that “geopolitics,” “psychology” and “art” play a huge role, adding that it is crucial for “right stories” to reach using the “right tools”. The maestro believes that India is on the cusp of a cinematic “renaissance”, with the potential to make a significant impact on world cinema, stating that the present time is an “interesting space” for art and films.
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The documentary Headhunting to Beatboxing, which traces the Naga community’s transition from violence to music, resonated with the Amar Singh Chamkila composer due to its broader implications for independent singer-songwriters. After backing the 2021 film 99 Songs, Rahman cautiously navigates the world of production, aiming to contribute meaningfully without compromising his music-making process. He added that he wants his production to be “non-intrusive” in his pursuit of making music. Rahman acknowledges the challenges of being into production calling it “exhaustive” and “humiliating”. He admitted that he wants to do things in his own “capacity”.
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