Felt like seeing death: AR Rahman on stage fright, how live shows terrified him

AR Rahman may now command some of the biggest stages in the world, but performing live wasn't always a comfortable experience for the Oscar-winning composer. Looking back at his early concerts, Rahman has recalled being so terrified on stage that he felt as though he was "seeing death". Three decades after his first live performance in Malaysia, he’s come a long way from those nerve-racking beginnings."There was a time when I was on stage I felt like I was seeing death. I was so terrified!" Rahman told Hindustan Times, reflecting on his first experiences of performing in front of a live audience.The composer, who first took the stage in 1996, said it took time to find his footing and work out how to bring his distinctive studio sound to a live setting. His music was unlike much of what musicians were used to playing, and translating it for concerts came with its own set of challenges."My music was so different, and it was hard to interpret for musicians on stage," he said. Finding the right people to perform his compositions was just as important. Rahman wanted musicians who could bring fresh ideas to his work without losing what made the original recordings special. It took time to strike that balance, especially with compositions that had taken months to create.He added, "So it took a bit of time to take those liberties to live up everything, get the right kind of musicians who would add things and not destroy what was created for months." Now, 30 years after that first performance, Rahman is preparing to take his music on the road once again with his Wonderment Tour. The three-hour production promises a mix of familiar favourites from the 1990s and more recent compositions, brought together in a large-scale live show.The tour will arrive at Jio World Garden in Mumbai on November 1, followed by a performance at Backyard Sports Club in Delhi on November 21. Rahman has also been performing with symphony orchestras in the US, exploring new ways to present his music to audiences.Beyond the stage, the composer has another major project on the horizon. He has teamed up with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer for the first time for Ramayana, which is scheduled for release on November 5. The film's newly released song Mangal Rang, centred on the love story of Lord Rama and Sita, has been receiving immense love online.Composed by AR Rahman, the song has been released simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The Hindi version has been sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, with lyrics by Dr Kumar Vishwas. The film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, is planned as a two-part epic.- Ends