This is one of my overdue posts that I haven't been able to write because I've been either ill or sleep-deprived over the last week or so. I was also thinking about writing about whatever has been happening in Mumbai, but I somehow find myself at a loss for words when it comes to expressing myself on such depressing stuff. So this is what I chose to write about instead.
With all the radio stations playing patriotic songs over the last couple of days, I noticed that, in recent times, much of the good patriotic music has been composed by A. R. Rahman. Somehow, everyone who makes a decent film about the freedom struggle picks him to do the music. Take *The Legend of Bhagat Singh* <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0319736/>. *Lagaan<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0169102/> *. *Mangal Pandey* <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346457/>. *Netaji SubhasChandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero * <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349878/>. And then there are the movies that are set in the present day, and how relevant our love for our country is in a real-world, present day scenario, like *Rang De Basanti*<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405508/>and *Swades* <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367110/>. I somehow feel that, in the music of all these and other films, Rahman has put in a lot of feeling, which makes it touch the hearts of the audience and get the film maker's message across more effectively. Even more so when he sings a little as well. Like in the *Aazaadi* number. Or *Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera*. And, of course, not to forget, the legendary, *Maa Tujhe Salaam* from his album that he created to commemorate India's fiftieth Independence Day. I also liked the creativity expressed in his *Jana Gana Mana* that he composed for our sixtieth Independence day. I somehow always feel a rush of emotions when I hear him sing these lines: *Mitti ki hai jo khushi Wo kaise bhulaayega Tu chaahe jab jaaye Tu laut ke aayega* Or these: *Main gaya jahaan bhi Bas teri yaad thi Jo mere saath thi* Nobody else can express these sentiments the way he does. Since his debut with *Roja <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105271/>* in 1992 (which, by the way, also included one of the most beautiful patriotic tracks I have ever come across - *Bharat Humko Jaan Se Pyaara Hai*), Rahman has come a long way. He does justice to every genre of music, be it soft, romantic numbers, or light, peppy numbers, or stage musicals like *Bombay Dreams<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0404827> *. He has been everywhere, done everything, and yet, never fails to strike a chord with his audience, never fails to please them, to give them just what they want. http://searchforrandomness.blogspot.com/2008/11/r-rahman-composer-singer-patriot.html -- regards, Vithur
