It was a fine morning in March 2004. A teenager found himself in the company of a certain A. R. Rahman, who asked him to sing for Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005). But the 17-year-old had other problems. He had just a few hours before his Class 12 Chemistry examination. “I was young and terrified at the prospect of a public examination. I explained to an amused Rahman, and excused myself from the recording,” recounts the Chennai-based Haricharan.
The singing opportunity was lost, and he spent the following years regretting it bitterly. Of course, he scored 96/100 in Chemistry but it was small consolation.
In the ten years since, Haricharan has made many amends, having sung for the famous composer in Kochadaiyaan (2014), Kadal (2013), and Mariyaan (2013). And today, he is singing as many as nine tracks (including bit tracks) for Vasanthabalan’s Kaaviya Thalaivan , a historical film with music again scored by Rahman. Set in the early 1900s, the soundtrack is nothing like Rahman has ever composed before. “As it is a period movie about street theatre, I trained myself by listening to legendary singers such as S. G. Kittappa and M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar,” says Haricharan, who began his training in classical music at the age of seven.
The recording began early last year when Rahman, familiar with Haricharan’s strong foundation in classical music, invited him to his studio in Chennai. What ensued was like an impromptu jamming session. Haricharan didn’t find himself in a soundproof enclosure, following the instructions of a composer seated outside. Instead, he sat face-to-face with arguably the most celebrated Indian composer of the modern era, singing to request. “I was initially a bit reticent about over-dramatising the lyrics — something the film demanded — but warmed up soon. I dare say that our wavelengths matched, and I was able to soon grasp his complex requests,” he says.
The film’s album has thrown all caution to the winds, with the flavour of the early 1900s pervading the tracks. “Vasanthabalan was particular that we remain loyal to the setting,” he says. “From the instruments to the lyrics to my style of rendition, we have attempted to remain faithful to the early 20th century.”
Haricharan also reveals that the album is rigidly loyal to raga structures. “While we usually take a lot of liberties with film songs, we decided that we would do everything by the book for this film.” He also credits the late lyricist Vaalee for his contribution. “He was our link to that era. He told us what stage plays were like, and helped us understand that culture.”
Haricharan is particularly excited about ‘Alli Arjuna’, a 11-minute track (made of 8 bit tracks) that dramatises the romance between mythological characters Alli and Arjuna. “I had to sing for both Krishna and Arjuna in this track by modifying my voice,” he says. He reveals that Rahman was always quick to spot moments when his voice lacked passion. “He would motivate me to give my best and that’s the reason why the track sounds the way it does.” The song, incidentally, is Vaalee’s last contribution to Tamil cinema.
Haricharan first became a household name when he won Sapthaswarangal , TV’s popular music reality show. He often chose songs from the early 1900s for contests and stage performances. “I had a lot of people telling me I should have been born in that era,” he laughs. Now, with this period film, life seems to have come full circle.
Moments with the maestro
* Rahman works in the night. A typical recording evening would begin at 7 p.m. The actual recording, after our discussions, would begin at 1 a.m. and end at 3 or 4 a.m.
* His discovery of a song is a process sometimes. He may start with the bone of a song and decide to flesh it out with the singer. The decisions are all his, of course.
* He identifies the strength of a singer quickly, and accentuates it. He encourages singers to do research and bring their unique flavour to their songs.
* After some songs are composed, he takes a minute or two by himself. He comes back with changes, and suddenly, as a singer, you are amazed at how different and better the songs sound. It is at such moments you are awed by his genius.
* His knowledge of classical music is exhaustive. Sometimes, he would mention a rare raga and ask me to sing a little-known variation of it. Even for a trained classical singer like me, it would sometimes take a minute to recognise what he was referring to.
