Sivamani

My father worked with his father and I work with him. Rahman does his homework and works hard and his music hashonesty. Take away the ego and you have Rahman. As for a favourite composition of Rahman, every note he touches is afavourite. We enjoy the recording. I always say, "Wow! You are a sultan! Great!"

We go back 30 years--our fathers worked together. From Roja till now, I am playing for him. I am like his elderbrother. His beauty also comes from giving a chance to newcomers. Even in the CD’s, he’d put the names of solo artistes and people used to call me andsay, "Siva I saw your name on this CD."

Whatever he has achieved now, the credit goes to AR’s mother. From childhood, she always provided for him, stood close tohim. When we work for others, we wait in the studio. I can hear the keyboard soundsand once it is done, it is finished. 

He has a special gift from childhood. I remember a band called Roots when we did the rehearsal, in the two-track cassette player, the way herecorded was awesome. It was of professional quality. It is inborn, this knowledge of technology-- and then he refined it and studied more about it .He’s always worked hard 

He never thinks about the Oscar. For him, every song is an Oscar or a Grammy.

As told to Lata Khubchandani