The Day I Met GOD Himself – A.R. Rahman

A.R. RAHMAN – This name needs no introduction. Being a 90’s kid, I have grown up grooving to the tunes of Roja, Bombay, Rangeela, Dil Se, Taal and what not! This man had started carving his niche amidst the cacophony of raging music directors in the country, right from those times. His music has always been mellifluous – it’s just DIFFERENT, it’s MAGICAL. I remember observing him keenly on television, in any of his public gatherings or interviews. He was always a man of few words. He was extremely humble, down-to-earth and exuded oodles of simplicity from that heavenly persona of his. He still is, a man of few words. He still exudes that same humility of a common man, which makes him so uncommon.

For me, A.R. Rahman is the perfect epitome of – “Actions speak louder than words.”

Even though I was never really a self-proclaimed fan of this fine musician, I was always sure that I would grab the first possible opportunity to watch him perform live. And almost 25 years later, that opportunity came knocking at my doors. I was browsing the internet on a lazy Sunday afternoon, when I suddenly came across an upcoming event near me. Yes – it was a notification for an A.R. Rahman Live Concert 2018 in Dallas. I live in Austin, almost 200 miles away from Dallas. So, I frantically checked for the location in Austin, where the entourage would visit as part of their USA tour. But, alas! There were no shows for Austin. Within a span of few minutes, I realised that this was my moment of truth. I just had to make it. So, we quickly booked our tickets for the concert in Dallas and literally started counting our days after the booking.

The D-Day

Finally, the day arrived – September 8, 2018. I was at my sincerest best and ready on time. Considering that it was a weekend, it is most difficult to make me get out of my pyjamas, take a bath, have breakfast and get ready for a road trip. I can get that lazy on weekends. So, my husband was literally shocked at my earnest sincerity that day. We had plans to start early, visit a school friend’s house in Dallas and then start off together for the concert in the evening. Amidst all the planning, little did my husband know that I had butterflies in my stomach already.

There were many incidents in between – torrential downpour on our way to Dallas, a near-miss road accident when the car skidded on the slippery freeway, a disorganised entry management system at the venue and long queues which hardly moved an inch per hour maybe. Then, suddenly in the middle of nowhere, I suddenly caught a glimpse of 2 beautiful rainbows. I was witnessing a dual rainbow for the first time in my life. I was in so much awe that I didn’t even bother to take snaps. I simply stood there and enjoyed the beauty of nature. AND this happened right before I entered into the concert of A.R. RAHMAN! Was that a sign? I don’t know. Was that a message, straight from the Heaven? Probably, yes!

The LIVE Concert

What an evening it was! We were welcomed with a top-class music medley comprising of all the popular songs composed by Rahman. Later I realised why they started with the medley introduction. Because he could not have possibly performed on all his popular numbers. So, he presented a medley of sorts, which had a piece of everything. His collection of music is humongous after all!

It was a star-studded ensemble with celebrities like Udit Narayan, Javed Ali, Ranjit Barot, Neeti Mohan, Linda Lind, Haricharan, Jonita Gandhi and Shashaa Tirupati. What soul-stirring music it was!

I was actually elated to see A.R. Rahman, right in front of me. Be it his musical prowess, the stage setting, his extremely melodious and most unique voice, the spontaneous flashing of phone torch-lights in the full auditorium on Yeh Haseen Waadiyan ——> that evening was different.

We were in a different zone altogether. You actually have to watch him perform live, to slip into that unimaginable trance.

Music has immense power indeed. And Rahman’s music has the Supreme Power.

By the end of the show, people left while still wanting for more. There were minor glitches with time constraints, which resulted in a sudden wrap up. Yes, I was eagerly waiting for the “Jai Ho” bit and got visibly disappointed when he couldn’t perform the same in the last minute. But, such was his aura that I could hardly sustain a negative vibe for long that evening. Those 3 hours simply melted away and I didn’t even realise when it was time for us to bid him a final goodbye. The heart kept longing for more. While I returned from the venue, my mind was filled with the tunes of Tu Hi Re, Luka Chhupi, Dil Se Re, Kun Faya Kun and what not! I remained in that zone for a while. It was hard to fathom that it was over.

That man is not called ‘God’, without a reason.

Yes, that soul-stirring voice of A.R. Rahman is real. That music is real. That trance-like environment, which he creates with his mellifluous music, is real. I won’t be surprised if someone actually mentioned that the Gods had themselves descended from the heavens to witness the magic of this man. What a musical prowess! What an inspiration! What a level of humility, amidst all the adulation!

My message to A.R. Rahman

Dear A.R. Rahman,

My love and respect for you, was always manifold and keeps increasing with every passing day. After today’s concert, I now believe that I have witnessed GOD, in a way. Much love forever.