AR Rahman meets The Lord Of The Rings: How the acclaimed Indian composer brought Middle-earth to life

When the musical adaptation of The Lord Of Rings opens in Singapore this August, it won’t just bring Middle-earth to life on stage, it will also feature the music of one of the world’s most celebrated composers, AR Rahman.

The Academy Award-winning musician behind global hits such as Slumdog Millionaire and Bombay Dreams is the musical force behind the show, which makes its Asia premiere at Marina Bay Sands' Sands Theatre from Aug 12 to 31.

Rahman, who was in San Francisco for his concert tour, recently spoke to CNA Lifestyle via Zoom. The 58-year-old spoke candidly about his journey with the musical, his creative ambitions and his deep connection with Singapore.

BUILDING A TIMELESS LEGACY IN MUSICAL THEATRE

“The Lord Of The Rings came about because I did Bombay Dreams with Andrew Lloyd Webber,” he shared.

“The CEO of the production was Kevin Wallace. When he went out and started his own company, he remembered me and said, it would be awesome to have AR in this thing.”

At the time, Rahman admitted that he was not familiar with author JRR Tolkien’s work. That changed in 2001 when Peter Jackson’s film trilogy came out. He dove into the world of hobbits, elves and dark lords just in time for the musical that debuted in 2006.

By the time he was invited to work on the musical, he was no stranger to London’s creative circles. Having already spent two to three years in the city, he was immersed in its musical theatre scene while also working on projects back at home in India.

What excited Rahman most was the opportunity to bring his cultural identity to the global stage and give a fresh perspective. “My question always is, what have Indians contributed to the world? How can we contribute to the mainstream kind of a thing rather than just doing basic Asian, Indian stuff,” he shared.

“I don't want to be pigeonholed into being an Indian composer, Tamil composer or Hindi composer. Music is universal and I want to see what I can bring to something new to this Middle Europe, Middle-earth kind of thing.” 

He added: “It was an exciting project, because it was a non-Indian project and that's the kind of thing I want to do more. In that perspective, it was a big achievement."

Rahman is well-known for blending musical traditions and The Lord Of The Rings was no exception. He curated music using his signature approach of using emotionally resonant and culturally expansive melodies. 

“Even though it doesn't have an Indian kind of influence in it, melody is melody,” he said.

To bring the mythical world of Middle-earth to life on stage, he also worked alongside some of the biggest names in theatre, including playwright Matthew Warchus, known for his critically acclaimed productions such as Matilda The Musical.

“[Working with the team] helped me to realise what I have to learn or what I have to unlearn,” he shared.

“Matthew Warchus is a very critically acclaimed kind of director. And his vision for musical theatre is completely different from what Andrew Lloyd Webber would do. So it was nice to see both sides of musical theatre – Webber on Bombay Dreams and Warchus with The Lord Of The Rings.”

He also worked alongside Finnish folk band Varttina, which handled the earthy, ancient textures of Middle-earth. Rahman, meanwhile, focused on the more cinematic elements – the orchestration of war, the emotional highs and lows, and the sound of darkness.

“It was a cool process. Because the Lord Of The Rings goes to a very, very dark stage, unbearably dark stage,” he said laughing.

“So while writing and recording, it was a bit too much. But I think we did it.” 

For Rahman, his music has never been just about sound. It’s about crafting an experience. He approaches his work like a director, considering everything from poster design to font choices, ensuring that every detail aligns with his creative vision.

"We are what our choices are, our work is our choice of listening or writing,” he said.

“Lately, I've been kind of controlling that. So that my real feel of what I want the people to see of myself, my evolution comes through better.

“So people don't think that some third person is doing it... when we do like musical theatre or anything produced from India, it'll have a certain kind of quality which will be very unique,” he added.

Rahman turned to an eclectic mix of instruments such as the nyckelharpa (a Swedish string instrument), violin, brass, flutes and even voices. For the vocals, he collaborated with a Bosnian singer, Alma Ferovic.

The collaboration blossomed into a long-standing friendship and Ferovic later worked with him on the Bollywood hit film Rockstar.

With the musical being reimagined for a new era, Rahman believes it's the perfect time for the production to take the spotlight once again.

“The musical is being reinvented,” he shared. “I think right now the adaptation is very cool, it's very immersive and it can still contain the whole story.”

AR RAHMAN ON THE REAL CHALLENGE BEHIND THE PRODUCTION

Were there any challenges when he composed the music for the beloved classic? Rahman admits that the hardest part wasn’t the epic scope or the extensive work, but being away from home.

With a laugh, he recalled the one thing he missed the most during his time in London: “Home food”.

“I was really missing home,” he said. “I had to stay there for like a month or two and come back, go back again. I was trying to manage film scores in India.”

“When my mother was there, it was a compulsion that I should eat with her. Because that's the kind of love she has. Even if my sisters come, she's like, “Go, I'll do it for my son”,” he said.

Beyond homesickness, there were practical hurdles too.

“I didn't have a studio there, I had to rent a studio,” he added.  

“Going out of the comfort zone is when you realise what life is, what people go through. And that is probably an exercise for further bigger things you do in life,” he said with a smile.

SINGAPORE: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

While his music makes his way to Singapore next month, turns out, the city holds a far deeper meaning for him. Decades before he became a global icon, Singapore was the first country he travelled to from his hometown in Tamil Nadu.

“We couldn't afford to go to the USA and UK and all of Europe and all those places. So the nearest place where we could get electronic instruments and musical instruments was Singapore,” he shared.

“I have fond memories of Singapore and the energy which the city brings – it's not faded, even after I'd been there in 1986; it's going to be almost 38 years since I visited.” 

Today, the same city where he once searched for his instruments now also hosts his virtual reality film Le Musk, along with the upcoming musical.

AR RAHMAN AND HANS ZIMMER'S FULL CIRCLE MOMENT

When Rahman recently posted a selfie with Hans Zimmer, the legendary German film composer behind The Lion King, Inception and Interstellar, it was not just another backstage moment. It was the soft launch of a monumental collaboration. The upcoming Bollywood film Ramayana is one of the most ambitious projects in Indian cinema to date.

When we asked him about the collaboration, his eyes lit up.

“[The story of] Ramayana is a cultural identity for India and I'm so proud that I'm part of it,” he shared. 

In fact, he revealed that Zimmer had invited him for a collaboration 15 years back.

“[He said] let's do something together. But I was busy with my own work. And it's nice to take that invitation, which he wanted. It's all coming together and it's like a full circle.”

Having pushed creative boundaries, with his work outside of just composing music, Rahman remains restless.

“I don’t want to limit myself just as a composer or as a musician,” he said. 

“Art is like an ocean and we have a lot of challenges now. We have to reinvent everything to engage people.”

So what is the project he's most proud of? Rahman, the man with over hundred accolades, cheekily smiled.

“Yet to come."

The Lord Of The Rings: A Musical Tale runs from Aug 12 to 31 at Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands. Details here.