AR Rahman: In limelight again

After joining the musical campaign against tuberculosis, Rahman appeared in Pray For Me, Brother, touted as the world's first mobile music video, an anti-poverty anthem, at a function in New Delhi last week.

There was a surprise in store for the media when the usually reticent music composer from Chennai said he was inspired by Michael Jackson to wear a costume like the pop star in the video.

In the music video, Rahman puts on an unbuttoned white shirt fluttering in the wind. "Yes, I have been inspired by Jackson," he said adding in a tongue-in-cheek remark "though not in character".

"My voice has the same range (as that of Jackson) since we both have a high pitch. So, it perhaps gives an impression that it is similar," Rahman said.

As far as the theme of the mobile music video is concerned, Rahman concedes it was also inspired by Jackson's Earth song.

The music video, also featuring hip-hop artiste Blaze, has been shot in black and white by filmmaker Bharat Bala who had also done the earlier video album Vande Mataram featuring the composer who has given us some wonderful music in movies like Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Saathiyan, Yuva, Rang De Basanti and the forthcoming film Guru.

Rahman said he was happy that three of his songs have been shortlisted for the Oscars even though he declined to guess about their chances of either getting the nomination or winning the award.

The mobile music video is a joint initiative of an international leader in making mobile handsets and AR Rahman Foundation.

The album Pray for Me, Brother is the not the first occasion when Rahman had sung. He had done it in Ma Tujhe Salam and lends his voice to a number (with Abhishek Bachchan giving lips) in Mani Ratnam's Guru.

Rahman said he was at first hesitant to sing for Abhishek but Mani Ratnam persuaded him to do so.

One of his current projects is composing music for the period film Akbar Jodha, starring Aishwariya Rai and Hrithik Roshan. According to Rahman, "Akbar Jodha is not merely an attempt to remake an old classic but something more than that. Since the setting of the movie is Rajasthan, I have incorporated a Rajasthani tune,".

Referring to his Pray for Me, Brother album, Rahman said the money to be collected from sale of the music video would be used for opening schools and creating leaders in music and other fields.