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A. R. Rahman on his street in Ontario, Canada

A.R. Rahman Tracks: The Last Decade Encapsulated

A.R. Rahman has devout fans all around the world. No surprises. But the Canadians top the list after they named a road after him in Ontario late last year – ‘Allah-Rakha Rahman St’. The Oscar winning composer has dished out emotionally choking as well as powerhouse dance tracks since the start of his career. Here’s a list of songs that made their way into the minds of listeners in the last decade, innocently and sneakily, both at the same time.

Swades – “Yeh Tara Woh Tara”

Udit Narayan’s voice fit so elegantly into Rahman’s composition that it made the otherwise preachy lyrical content seep in so effortlessly.

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Yuva – “Kabhi Neem Neem”

Those who were breaking into the naughtiness of a relationship in 2004 took a leaf out of the feisty act put up by Rani Mukherjee in this song.

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Rang De Basanti – “Roobaroo”

A song that stood for everything that exhorted active citizens to prove a point. Perhaps Kejriwal too watched the song and film.

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Guru – “Ay Hairathe”

The unconventional story of Dhirubhai Ambani was a hairath, in a sense, as it led to the matrimony of the Abhi-Ash phenomenon.

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Ghajini – “Kaise Mujhe”

A film about a man who forgets everything, even the fact that the film was a remake of an English classic Memento, manages to fall in love with a girl, about which he cannot explain to himself. The typical Rahman guitar lag is more than just delectable.

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Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na – “Tu Bole”

For many, this song summed up a majority of their college lives. But for the rest, trumpets blending with mellow rhythms was bedazzling.

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Slumdog Millionaire – “Ringa Ringa”

Rahman’s entry into Hollywood, and a global space as such, was marked by his single “Jai Ho”. But the starkly macabre Ringa Ringa grew on listeners, wine-style.

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Delhi 6 – “Dilli 6”

Another one with delayed rhythms, but with faster beats, fit right into the hurried, cramped yet genial lives of the residents of Dilli 6.

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Couples Retreat – “Sajna Re”

Not many know of Rahman’s work in Vince Vaughan’s English film Couples Retreat. Here’s one of the endearing ballads.

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Raavan – “Behne De”

Though the film plummeted the moment it step foot on the box office, two aspects were lauded for long – the music and the cinematography.

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127 Hours – “If I Rise”

Collaborating with British singer-songwriter Dido for this track, Rahman was responsible for composing the theme song of the compelling film 127 Hours.

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Rockstar – “Phir Se Udd Chala”

Imtiaz Ali’s fascination with Rahman became obvious when he brought him on board for the second time in a row to work on his latest film Highway. But “Phir Se Udd Chala” talks about the highs of unfettered flying in a figurative sense.

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Highway – “Maahi Ve”

When on the highway, contemplative of the direction to tread, all you need is Rahman’s blessing. Rahman chose to work with local musicians from Punjab, the Nooran Sisters of Coke Studio (Read here), for this film’s other track “Patakha Guddi”.

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Ekk Deewana Tha – “Hosanna”

Despite Prateek Babbar not being an auspicious symbol for his producers, the film’s music turned out more than phenomenal.

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Raanjhanaa – “Tum Tak”

Heer-Raanjha retold and embodied through Dhanush and Sonam brought alive innocence in the film. Possibly wouldn’t have been the same without the musical journey.

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Jab Tak Hai Jaan – “Jiya Re”

Yash Chopra’s last film – All we can say is his soul will be pleased for choosing Rahman for the compositions.

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