As a kid, before even I hit my teenage, I used to think that fans existed only for the heroes and heroines of movies and not for a music director. When all the friends and relatives I knew were fans of actors, I used to think that I am probably the only great fan for A. R. Rahman. It can be right as much as it can be wrong.
You don’t think too deep when you are a kid and that is exactly what I did. Here are few of the stuff that I could recollect about my craziness for A.R.
Around the time Kaadhalan was released.
- I used to collect magazines which had an A.R’s photo or an interview and stuck the pages to an old diary. I was not bothered about the frustration of those who bought the magazine’s subscription. I just removed those pages. I documented each and every film of his in that diary.
- Konica was a film-roll brand that was popular in the 90s which had a nice packaging. When I first saw it, I was fascinated as it had a picture of the Taj Mahal and a hologram. I started to collect it (There was a photo studio on my way to school which throws off the package). I thought that would be the best thing to pay as a tribute and would carefully cutout the holograms and pasted them side by side (6 rows & 5 holograms in a row) on a handmade, pocket sized cardboard with the Taj Mahal on top. Then on the left over spaces on the side, I wrote A.R.RAHMAN. That was what I thought was a grand tribute to The Genius.
- Found out that A.R’s name was listed as A.S. Dileep Kumar in the telephone directory, got his address and telephone number and wrote it down on the diary. Telephone was a luxury back then. So I gave the number to our landlord's daughter who had a telephone. She called his residence, introduced herself as a fan of A.R and talked to Him! I was standing there with the utmost jealousy that I have ever had on any person that I could recollect. I curse myself for the shyness in me that deprived me of such a great opportunity.
Around the time Rangeela was released.
- It took me a few years for me to venture out and find his residence. I had to wait till I learnt cycling and get a cycle for myself. It took me many days to enquire people who knew Kodambakkam and get an approximate location. Once I went to Kodambakkam, it took me 3 days in all to figure out his place. Every now and then I used to go and stand in front of his apartment for a few minutes, just wishing that he might come out so that I can get to meet him, but I never got to see him that way.
Around the time Vande Mataram was released.
- When I was told that I can go with Simmam Kumar (A journalist/disciple of my carnatic-singer relative) for an interview with A.R, I decided to throw away my Chemistry exam by finishing it in an hour to rush to A.R’s residence. I had no trouble finding his place :). By the way, my Chemistry teacher was the one whom I dreaded and respected the most. It is a shame that I did not talk to/get an autograph/photograph with The Genius. I was so awestruck I think I had my mouth open the entire time. I was flying off the ground for a simple fact that he looked at me in the eye and asked me for my pen (to sign his consent letter for airing the interview). By the way, that was one of the happiest moments of my life and took my craziness for him to a new level – It was the day that I realized that the man himself is as great as his work.
- My other childhood wishes were to die listening to an A. R. Rahman’s song and working for A. R. Rahman, which I think is still possible.
- Even very recently, I was the first person to buy the first concert ticket as a part of his 3D tour. First row first seat as soon as it opened for sale at Ticketmaster. I was devastated when the show in Atlanta was postponed. I had to settle for a 3rd row in Chicago. During the concert when the audience stopped clapping for the next song to start, I shouted “Thalaivaa”. I am 100% sure that he heard it, it was a shout out from a humble fan to a humble achiever.
Today, when I think of all those, a great nostalgia sets in, cheering his works in good times and bad. I was proud that I stuck with him all these years. I am never embarrassed about myself when it comes to what I have done as a fan, however silly it might be if I had done it to anybody else.
The Man’s work has helped me at many times, in getting over whatever emotions I have gone through. For that, I thank you. For that, I wish you all the good things in life. For that, I pray to The Almighty that you win one of the most coveted awards of all time – The Oscars.
You don’t think too deep when you are a kid and that is exactly what I did. Here are few of the stuff that I could recollect about my craziness for A.R.
Around the time Kaadhalan was released.
- I used to collect magazines which had an A.R’s photo or an interview and stuck the pages to an old diary. I was not bothered about the frustration of those who bought the magazine’s subscription. I just removed those pages. I documented each and every film of his in that diary.
- Konica was a film-roll brand that was popular in the 90s which had a nice packaging. When I first saw it, I was fascinated as it had a picture of the Taj Mahal and a hologram. I started to collect it (There was a photo studio on my way to school which throws off the package). I thought that would be the best thing to pay as a tribute and would carefully cutout the holograms and pasted them side by side (6 rows & 5 holograms in a row) on a handmade, pocket sized cardboard with the Taj Mahal on top. Then on the left over spaces on the side, I wrote A.R.RAHMAN. That was what I thought was a grand tribute to The Genius.
- Found out that A.R’s name was listed as A.S. Dileep Kumar in the telephone directory, got his address and telephone number and wrote it down on the diary. Telephone was a luxury back then. So I gave the number to our landlord's daughter who had a telephone. She called his residence, introduced herself as a fan of A.R and talked to Him! I was standing there with the utmost jealousy that I have ever had on any person that I could recollect. I curse myself for the shyness in me that deprived me of such a great opportunity.
Around the time Rangeela was released.
- It took me a few years for me to venture out and find his residence. I had to wait till I learnt cycling and get a cycle for myself. It took me many days to enquire people who knew Kodambakkam and get an approximate location. Once I went to Kodambakkam, it took me 3 days in all to figure out his place. Every now and then I used to go and stand in front of his apartment for a few minutes, just wishing that he might come out so that I can get to meet him, but I never got to see him that way.
Around the time Vande Mataram was released.
- When I was told that I can go with Simmam Kumar (A journalist/disciple of my carnatic-singer relative) for an interview with A.R, I decided to throw away my Chemistry exam by finishing it in an hour to rush to A.R’s residence. I had no trouble finding his place :). By the way, my Chemistry teacher was the one whom I dreaded and respected the most. It is a shame that I did not talk to/get an autograph/photograph with The Genius. I was so awestruck I think I had my mouth open the entire time. I was flying off the ground for a simple fact that he looked at me in the eye and asked me for my pen (to sign his consent letter for airing the interview). By the way, that was one of the happiest moments of my life and took my craziness for him to a new level – It was the day that I realized that the man himself is as great as his work.
- My other childhood wishes were to die listening to an A. R. Rahman’s song and working for A. R. Rahman, which I think is still possible.
- Even very recently, I was the first person to buy the first concert ticket as a part of his 3D tour. First row first seat as soon as it opened for sale at Ticketmaster. I was devastated when the show in Atlanta was postponed. I had to settle for a 3rd row in Chicago. During the concert when the audience stopped clapping for the next song to start, I shouted “Thalaivaa”. I am 100% sure that he heard it, it was a shout out from a humble fan to a humble achiever.
Today, when I think of all those, a great nostalgia sets in, cheering his works in good times and bad. I was proud that I stuck with him all these years. I am never embarrassed about myself when it comes to what I have done as a fan, however silly it might be if I had done it to anybody else.
The Man’s work has helped me at many times, in getting over whatever emotions I have gone through. For that, I thank you. For that, I wish you all the good things in life. For that, I pray to The Almighty that you win one of the most coveted awards of all time – The Oscars.
Godspeed, my beloved A. R!
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