In the past, AR Rahman has referred to filmmaker Shekhar Kapur as his mentor. In a recent interview, when Shekhar was asked about collaborating with Rahman, he described him as a genius with a remarkable level of humility. Shekhar also recounted how he instilled confidence in Rahman, especially when the composer was initially nervous about working overseas.
Speaking about working with Rahman in his Broadway musical ‘Bombay Dreams’, Shekhar told Ranveer Allahbadia on his YouTube channel, “AR Rahman had a name in the industry by the time I met him. The only mentoring that I gave him was that I told him about technology and I took him out of India. I produced Bollywood-themed musical Bombay Dreams. I worked with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Andrew was very upset when I was bringing Rahman because he has done many musicals in the West like Phantom Of The Opera and more. I convinced him to bring Rahman. Rahman was scared too. He wasn’t sure if they will accept him but I told him that if they accepted me, they will accept you too. I knew that Rahman was a genius and had a lot of humility.”
Shekhar believes that Rahman’s faith plays an important role in his ability to craft soulful music. Sharing the same, he said, “When I was working with him, he made me sit and went upstairs. Then he came back and he started playing the tune. I think he reads namaz when he asks to excuse himself. In that prayer, he listen to everything and gives everything to the faith. He gets the tune through his faith. He gets one hint and he makes the whole tune. I saw this humility in him, he has no arrogance.”
Rahman gave music in Shekhar’s Hollywood directorial Elizabeth: The Golden Age, which was the sequel to his 1998 debut Hollywood film Elizabeth.
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