AR Rahman Reveals How A Drunk Guitarist's 'Condescending Comment' Changed His Music Career

AR Rahman recalled a conversation with a drunk guitarist from his band, who questioned his music and made a condescending comment

AR Rahman reflects on the time when a guitarist questioned his music.

Source : Instagram/@arrahman

New Delhi: In a recent interview, renowned musician AR Rahman discussed an important event in his career that shaped his musical style. When asked about a turning moment in his life, Rahman recounted a chat with his band's drunk guitarist, who made a remark and questioned his music, in an interview with O2 India.

A Turning Point in AR Rahman's Career

AR Rahman began collaborating with several composers and playing with a band at the age of 19. Remembering an incident, he said, "I went through a phase where I was playing for a couple of composers and I was in a band. This one time, when I was young, the guitarist in the band was drunk and he turned to me and said, ‘What are you playing? You are playing film music.’ He made a very condescending comment about my playing."

Rahman struggled to understand the comment's weight when it was said. But weeks later it struck him. “At the moment, I didn’t realise what he meant, but weeks later, it hit me and I realised that whatever he said was right. When I thought deeply about his remark about me, I realised that I was getting influenced by the composers I was playing for. After this, I consciously began to move away from it. And my mental journey of identifying ‘what will be my style’ began,” he added.

During the seven years that Rahman spent on his path to self-discovery, he made an effort to develop his own style. “It took me about seven years, and I completely moved away from the influences…Sometimes, certain remarks imprint in your heart so much that it becomes a positive influence to move away from that stuff. This helped me learn to move away from my own influence… I revive the soul of my music but move away from the packaging," the musician reflected.