Composer A.R. Rahman doesn’t favour the trend of using songs in the background because he feels it affects their popularity.
In the 1970s, filmmaker Basu Chatterjee would often force songs into the background and a few current directors such as Shoojit Sircar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra feel the same and avoid lip-sync songs in their films.
But Rahman begs to differ.
“A lot of my very good songs in films such as Rang De Basanti and Delhi 6 were used as soundtracks in the background. They were not used as lip-sync. So, the reach of those songs was just 30 or 40 per cent of what it was meant to be,” said Rahman.
“Songs that are sung by major stars on screen get played in clubs and on radio. They make a psychological impact on the audiences’ mind,” he added.
The Oscar-winning composer is looking for a more prominent outlet for his songs. “One reason why I want to do music in young stories is because these films allow their actors to sing on screen,” he said.
