AR Rahman opens up about heartbreak over Roja soundtrack; says, “We had to compromise”

Music composer AR Rahman recalled that he was 'heartbroken' after he heard the soundtrack of Roja.

Legendary composer AR Rahman's musical journey in the Indian film industry began with the Mani Ratnam directorial Roja in 1992. The film was a critical and commercial success and the music, in particular, received widespread acclaim, setting the benchmark for film music in India for years to come. Rahman's unique sound, which was a fusion of Indian classical music and western sounds, became a trademark of his music, and he went on to create some of the most iconic film scores in Indian cinema history. However, AR Rahman was ‘heartbroken’ when he first heard the Roja soundtrack.

AR Rahman opens up about heartbreak over Roja soundtrack; says, “We had to compromise”

The legendary musician himself made the above revelation in an interview with ETimes. According to Rahman, the album had to be mastered several times, but they had to eventually make some compromises because the release date was approaching. The portal quoted him saying, “I remember, in the very beginning, I was so heartbroken when I heard my Roja soundtrack when it came from the master. It was so badly mastered and then it had to go back 3-4 times but by the time the date came and we had to compromise and say okay.”

This is not the first time when AR Rahman has shared his thoughts on Roja’s soundtrack. During an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Rediff, Rahman had clarified the reason behind compromising on the sound quality in a previous album. He explained that, at the time, the majority of the audience had access to lower-quality music systems, so the compromise was made to ensure that the sound quality was compatible with their equipment.

He had shared, “At the time of Roja, the consumer music systems used were of lower quality and we had to cater to a mono-magnetic tape. Hence we had to exaggerate the high frequencies and use a lot of specializers. Things have changed in the course of time and we are right now taking a universal approach in the sound quality to make our recordings sound warm and friendly to every system.”

For the unversed, Roja, released in 1992, starred Arvind Swami and Madhoo in the lead roles.

Also Read: A.R. Rahman reveals that Shabana Azmi starrer Fire was not something he would stand for; says, “But I feel like I can stand for humanity”