Shamit Khemka

Sometimes back in the winters while reading through some posts in an online forum dedicated to music buffs, I confronted with a young fan’s ire. My mistake? I just thought to correct him on some of his musings on A R Rahman as an overrated artist who still has a lot to prove to be called as a maestro – especially before the works of greats like Ilaiyaraaja, Pt Ravi Shankar et al.

Overrated or not, I am not interested to discuss it here. But, I strongly believe that musicians, like any other artists, are also bound by the factor of time, especially the ‘generation’ that they work in and the followers that they carry from their earlier efforts. AR Rahman is much younger but still successful because he creates music that appeals to people of today’s generation. I do not intend to say that Ilaiyaraaja or any of the yesteryears’ popular composers and music directors do not appeal to today’s youths. Of course they do! The fellow with whom I had an exchange of words ably exemplifies it.

My question is, can we ever compare and scale the capabilities of Mozart with Beethoven? Both are popular, and their humongous fan following from years apart prove the point. So, if Ilaiyaraaja is popular and is a master in his own right, A R Rahman is popular by virtue of the scores that strike a chord with people today.

BAFTA, Grammy, National and Academy Awards might not always prove one’s capabilities. Still, ARR has won them all, and enjoys a global recognition that would make any celebrity today envious of this stature.

Ilaiyaraaja, Pt Ravi Shankar and others are great, but their greatness doesn’t belittle the achievement of ARR and his capabilities. I enjoy the depth of the tunes of Ilaiyaraaja, as that of Ravi Shankar, OP Nayyar, SD and RD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, LaxmiKanth-Pyarelal, or their younger counterparts in the likes of Shankar-Ehsan-Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam, AR Rahman, and of course, several of the new and old Western music composers. And I know I am not alone to have made this statement.

Perhaps the better sense lies in refraining from comparing creative talents. If two people have difference in opinion, especially in the case of liking a music score, let’s attribute it two just an instance of difference in ‘wavelength’ or mental state of being.

I bet it’s far easier than scathing the capability of someone and fanning a futile debate.