A.R.Rahman - Philosopher or Musician?

A.R.Rahman is the ‘talk of the town’ these days, for obvious reasons known to everyone! Surprisingly, I have not listened to the complete song of 'Jai Ho' till date. I still believe, ‘Jai Ho’ must not be the best of almost all the best songs he has created. For me, ‘chik buk chik buk raile’- from gentleman,’chandralekha’from tiruda tiruda, ‘kehna hi kya’-bombay, ‘kaise mujhe tum milgayi’-ghajini, ‘kuchi kuchi rakamma’-bombay, ‘masti ki pathshala’- RDB, ‘yeh jo des hai mera’- swades- with a beautiful shehnai recital etc are very special creations from this maestro.I am one of the million fans of Rahman and have grown up listening to his captivating tunes. I still remember how ‘Chik buk chik buk Raile’ set me on fire and I drove 80 kmph on a bajaj scooter from Vaikom to Shertalai with two of my friends as pillion riders, who lost their breath during the drive!But, what has inspired me recently is his philosophy more than his music. Sample this –In a recent media interview when the interviewer asks “…so, you believe that there is a divine force?”…Rahman quickly responds with a laughter - “Only divine is there that exists…. we are all mortals”Another one - When Rahman received the Oscar, he says “ I always had to make a choice between Love and Hate….and I chose Love, so I am here today!”His school teacher fondly remembers Rahman when she met him recently. He tells her that it is in this school, that he learned that “If you point a finger at someone, remember that you are pointing at God and that at the same time three fingers are pointing towards you”.Such profound thoughts from the Mozart of Madras– Indeed, if we are able to connect to the Divine, the resulting creation will be obviously perfect! This indicates the immense spiritual depth of Rahman.A.R.Rahman – the Musician and Philosopher – Jai Ho!"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy".Ludwig van Beethoven