Music maestro AR Rahman along with singer-songwriter Ananya Birla recently collaborated on ‘Hindustani Way’, which is reportedly the official team India cheer song for Tokyo Olympics 2020. In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Rahman and Birla opened up on the same. “You know most countries have a song to cheer their team at the Olympics, but we didn’t have one this year. So I got this idea and spoke to the ministry, and then the first person who came into my mind was AR Sir. I had no idea what his reaction would be, but I took a chance, and he was very kind and nice about it. That’s how things started,” informs Ananya.
The Academy Award winning composer adds that he was more than happy to collaborate on the song. “Everybody comes for an anthem, but I feel we can do a song, and it has to become an anthem by itself. We cannot call it an anthem, till it becomes one. So I was very nervous. Ananya is the new gen artist - I have been hearing her songs, she produces her stuff with a lot of interesting productions and I like her voice a lot. So I took some time, worked on three to four ideas and then I sent her this one, which she really liked,” adds Rahman.
AR Rahman can also be seen grooving in the music video, which he hasn’t done a lot in the past. Prod him on the same, and he responds, “Because there was a shoot I told Ananya that if I become thin I’ll do some moves otherwise I will keep quiet. Fortunately I lost some weight, and then she and the director guided me. It was not really planned, I was just grooving and it's an interesting cut,” laughs Rahman.
Both Rahman and Ananya are rooting for PV Sindhu. “Given the fact that she is the flag bearer, it's absolutely amazing, she has such an amazing track record, and is such an inspiring woman. I mean all our athletes are, but the first person who came to my mind is PV Sindhu,” states Ananya. Rahman adds, “Also I think there are a couple of people going from Tamil Nadu. I want to make sure that I recognise them. I want to give them my wishes.”
Rahman hasn’t been composing for a lot of Hindi films recently. “That is partly because I was doing my movie 99 Songs, and also after a while people think that we should not go for this movie to AR - he does only these kinds of movies. You know those kinds of things which were going around. So I gave an interview last year saying that ‘don’t spread rumours and I am there’. That kind of helped, and a lot of people understood that. People were feeling that this is just a commercial movie, and will he do that as he does these epic Hollywood stuff. That is one of the things, there are a lot of other things too which I don’t want to talk about. Right now I am pretty happy. I have finished Mimi, then I am doing Atrangi Re, Heropanti 2 and Pippa. So it's a great balance,” says Rahman.
He has finished composing four songs for the Tiger Shroff starrer Heropanti 2. “One more is left. Lockdown helps you know, as we have a lot of time,” he asserts. Further talking about Tiger Shroff, Rahman adds, “He is so good. (It will be) inspiring to see him dance on my songs.”