Facing the Music

A R Rahman who took six months and Rs 5,00,00,000 to compose a theme song for the Commonwealth Games is said to have ‘tweaked’ his original version.

Some say, he has made the song more peppy by adding instrumental music.  Some others say the song has a sharp beat now, fewer words and more music.  And the ‘enlightened’ ones say, ‘Rahman has added more layers to the song giving it a folk touch’! 

‘Oh Yaaro, Ye India Bula Liya’ was first composed, sung and recorded by Rahman on 11 September.  Expectations were that it would ‘outshine’ the FIFA World Cup theme song ‘Waka waka’.  But Rahman failed to impress.  Although he was reported to have initially turned down suggestions to review it, in the face of mounting criticisms, he seems to have yielded.

In this ‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’ game, there was one streak of silver lining:  Suresh Kalmadi, the ‘optimist’ of late, reposing faith in Rahman!