Photos courtesy of Star Planet.
MORE than 35,000 fans had an experience they will not forget as Indian superstar composer AR Rahman gave them a spectacular visual treat for three hours and 40 minutes backed by top class singers at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium
The concert, organised by Star Planet, was also attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Deputy Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Datuk R. Ramanan.
Having successfully organised close to 150 world-class concerts, this marks the first World Tour show featuring an Indian super star ever brought on stage by Star Planet.
And Rahman supported by the likes of Shweta Mohan, Shuba aVedula and Shakthisree Gopalan together with Srinivas, Mano and many other up and coming singers, the show was simply breathtaking. Other singers entertaining the crowd included Rahman's son A.R. Ameen and upcoming musician Nakul Abhyankar and rappers ADK, Blaaze and Sri Rascol.
From the word go, around 8.25pm, fans were treated to one great song to another ranging from top hits in 90s, the last decade and to songs from his recent movies 'Raayan' and 'The GOAT life'.
Dubbed as the “Mozart of Madras”, Rahman kicked off the night by delivering his Oscar-winning anthem, Jai Ho, from Slumdog Millionaire alongside leading female playback singers Shwetha, Shaktishree and Shubaa.
From then on, the maestro belted out his iconic hits from the 90s, such as Kannalane from Bombay (1995), Thillana Thillana from Muthu (1995), Enna Solla Pogirai from Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) and Minsara Poove from Padayappa (1999).
One of the highlight of the show was definitely the rendition of Rahman's supershit 90s song 'Chandralekha' sung by Shuba. It was simply a world class performance accompanied by an excellent dance troupe.
During the concert, Rahman, who also performed his many other famous hits, also praised Anwar for his approachable demeanor, describing him as a "simple man.”
The concert, a mix of Hindi and Tamil songs, was presented jointly by Thamarai Jewels and SRM International Real Estate LLC.
The evening also featured performances by popular Tamil and veteran singer Mano, who rendered ‘Mukkala Mukkabla’ from the 1994 film Kadhalan, as well as songs from Rahman’s compositions for the movies Thiruda Thiruda and Muthu.
Singers Srinivas and Swetha then performed a notable number from the 1999 film Padayyappa.
Additionally, Rahman showcased his meta band project, ‘Secret Mountain’, a virtual realm integrating music, animation, and interactive storytelling.
The concert also featured some of his latest hits, including Periyone En Rahmane from Aadujeevitham - The Goat Life and a song from actor Dhanush’s upcoming film, Raayan.
While the concert featured Tamil songs predominantly, Rahman also left the crowd crooning to his evergreen Hindi songs such as Taal Se Taal Mila from Taal (1999) and Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se (1998).
He also dedicated the Kappaleri Poyaachu song from Indian 1 as a “tribute” to veteran actor Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2 that is currently screening in cinemas. Rahman was the music composer for Indian 2 while Anirudh Ravichander was the music director for the sequel.
Rahman’s son Ameen also joined him on stage, rendering his father’s iconic hits such as Mustafaa Mustafaa from Kadhal Desam (1996).
Rahman, 58, debuted as a music composer in Mani Ratnam’s film, Roja, in 1992 which gave him his first National Award for best music direction.
Four years later, he performed his very first concert here at the Shah Alam Stadium and the AR Rahman Live in Kuala Lumpur 2024 concert yesterday was the maestro’s seventh concert in Malaysia.
He has won two Oscars, two Grammys, a Golden Globe, a Bafta and six National Awards throughout his musical career that spans over 30 years.
For the record's Saturday night's stage production, complemented by state-of-the-art audio-visual technology and over 30 dancers with spectacular choreography, provided an exhilarating and worthwhile experience. The stage was curated to ensure excellent sound quality, adhering to the artist's high standards.
And as in the past, the music meastro once again gave show to his many, many fans - a performance that will not be forgotten for a long time and cherished always.
