On this Covid crisis, AR Rahman says, “We are all struggling together, and we will grow together”

Although dealing with the pain of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis is becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day, music maestro AR Rahman believes that the days of healing are not far away. The Oscar-winning composer believes it is important to hold on to hope in order to survive the rise and fall of time.

“Hope is a necessity, just as food, air, music, and inspiration are. He asserts, “Today, we’re all hurting and struggling together, and we’ll soon grow together.” People today, he claims, are more prepared to face adversity than they were last year, when the coronavirus pandemic suddenly struck humanity.

AR Rahman On Covid

People have now learned to struggle and to arise alive from all of the crises. We need to help each other and march on as a humanity,” he says, hoping for things to improve and using social media to encourage people to donate to the healthcare battle. “Last year, everyone, even the (entertainment) industry, was brought down and there was so much confusion happening, post Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and everything,” Rahman, 54, recalls of the first time the virus disrupted lives. It’s now (soon) time to heal.”

“We must demonstrate toughness. And that, against all odds, we will prevail. The entire staff put in a lot of effort to make the film. As the team leader, I felt compelled to get the film released (on the big screen) in April. It would have been a mistake to release it two years ago or last year,” says Rahman, who worked on the film as a composer, editor, and producer.

When asked why he didn’t go for a digital release to avoid the risks, he says, “It’s a movie designed for the theatre experience.” I didn’t want to remove the sound and music from it. Since anyone who watches content on OTT platforms is afraid of using sound, or they use it in such a low volume… They are deprived of the opportunity.” Rahman believes that the musical narrative is absent from the storytelling in the industry.

“Because half of the population avoids listening to music. They don’t invest in composers and instead focus on remixes. While some people are dedicated to their work, others aren’t. They want to invest the money, make a film, and release it on OTT,” he believes.