Ajay Devgn-led Maidaan brings producer and singer Nakul Abhyankar back in studio with <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/bollywood-news/article/happy-birthday-ar-rahman-iconic-international-collabs-of-the-maestro-that-prove-his-greatness-23264006" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">AR Rahman</a>, with whom he collaborated on the making of the song, Team India hai hum. Abhyankar, who also produced part of the score, discusses the maestro&rsquo;s working style, and crafting emotionally rousing music for a sports offering.
Edited excerpts from the interview.
What was your discussion with AR Rahman on this number?&nbsp; When he told me that he wanted me to produce it, he said he wanted a &lsquo;dancy&rsquo; number, but one that didn&rsquo;t sound like a dance track. He wanted it to be inspirational; something along the lines of what <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/hollywood-news/article/michael-jackson-birth-anniversary-2023-moments-from-the-artists-dazzling-baffling-life-23306050" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Michael Jackson</a> would do. We jammed together and arrived at an idea that we used for the mukhda. The tune was already made; I simply added a groove. We wanted the vibe of the stadium to be replicated&mdash;the stomps and claps. He liked it, and subsequently asked me to sing a few lines. Sir eventually ended up retaining my voice.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/apr/Ajay-Devgn-aa_e.jpg" alt="Ajay Devgn in Maidaan" width="1280" height="720" /> Ajay Devgn in Maidaan
Considering the number of sports movies that have been created, how did you both intend to retain an element of novelty?&nbsp; One thing that Rahman sir does beautifully is read the situation and create an [appropriate] musical idea. There can&rsquo;t be a better anthem [than this one]; it&rsquo;s straightforward and singable. That&rsquo;s why, we liked the hook. We added many voices to it so that it could seem like people [in a] stadium were singing it. We knew we wanted to create that vibe, and then translate it into a song with a nice groove and bass.
Rahman sir&rsquo;s music is original. And [he succeeds because] he doesn&rsquo;t think twice before killing his own idea, if a better one comes up. His mind is constantly thinking about how to make a song better, and then better again. For this situation itself, while I do not know how many tunes he had made, I certainly heard more than one. He kept coming up with better ideas.
For [the song], he retained the signature line, [that is] &lsquo;Team India&rsquo;. And made so many iterations. Ultimately, this was the one that got his and everybody else&rsquo;s attention. Also, [he doesn&rsquo;t wait for] someone to turn something down and ask him to deliver something better. He does that himself. He&rsquo;ll compose something, listen to it, and simply try something new if he doesn&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s good. That&rsquo;s how he keeps evolving.&nbsp;
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2024/apr/AR-Rahman-a_e.jpg" alt="AR Rahman" width="1280" height="720" /> AR Rahman
Few people get the chance to also render a song that they produce. How does that put you at an advantage? It does in many ways. Apart from the fact that singing a song you really know well is more enjoyable, there&rsquo;s another thing to consider&mdash;because I&rsquo;m in touch with the composer from the beginning, I know exactly how the song should sound, and the emotions it should evoke. So, if I know how I must sing it, I will also be able to tweak the production as per that rendition. I&rsquo;ll know what elements must be put into the production to not harm the voice. When all these different aspects are under your control, it&rsquo;s a big advantage, and you can make the piece, as a whole, sound better.&nbsp;
When it comes to producing the score for a sports-based film, what aspects of composition become prominent? I&rsquo;ve produced some scores, especially those of the climax scene. Making a heart-thumping climax scene is special because so many musical elements are involved. There&rsquo;s a match unfolding, and at the onset, India continues to lose. It&rsquo;s a bouquet of emotions&mdash;aggression, excitement, tension, and then sorrow. You know you&rsquo;ve hit rock bottom, then, something clicks, and you pick yourself up and achieve what [you desire]. All these emotions must be packed into seven minutes. In order to keep so many musical palettes alive in such a short window, one must think carefully. We couldn&rsquo;t simply use melodies because that becomes boring. Also, people&rsquo;s attention is on the scene, not the music. So, our music should empower the experience they&rsquo;re having while watching the match. It&rsquo;s a delicate situation.

Capturing aggression, excitement, and sorrow in a span of seven minutes, Maidaan producer Nakul Abhyankar on what goes behind composing for a sports drama

Maidaan producer Nakul Abhyankar talks about AR Rahman`s working style and crafting song for a sports drama

Getting lucky!

Capturing aggression, excitement, tension, and sorrow in a span of seven minutes, Maidaan producer Nakul Abhyankar on what goes behind composing for a sports-based offering

A million voices

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