By Subhash K. Jha, IANS,
Mumbai: The much-hyped ‘authorised biography’ of A.R. Rahman by author Kamini Mathai has kicked up a storm even before its release because the music maestro says there is “nothing authorised” about it.
“It’s a non-authorised biography. The news that it’s an authorised biography is wrong,” Rahman told IANS.
The book, titled “A R Rahman: The Musical Storm”, has been widely hyped and marketed as the “first authorized biography” on him.
The question here is, if the book’s author Kamini Mathai in her enthusiasm to sell her book over-stated her facts, why is a publishing house as reputed as Penguin India not setting the record straight?
According to sources close to Rahman, the musician much in the news is not amused by various attempts to cash in on his name after the Oscars. The composer won two golden statuettes for his composition in British filmmaker Danny Boyle acclaimed underdog drama “Slumdog Millionaire”.
“Though Rahman is completely oblivious to the outside world and doesn’t try to understand the commercial aspects of his superstardom, he isn’t oblivious to the ‘Cash In On Rahman’ factory that flourishes far and wide. Rahman didn’t like the way the song ‘Jai ho’ was flaunted as an electoral signature tune either,” said the source.
As far as a biography is concerned, Rahman has plans to write his own story.