Changing the way music was portrayed in Indian films, Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar created waves with its narrative. Featuring Ranbir Kapoor and Nargis Fakhri, the film achieved cult status over the years and is still discussed across platforms and clubs for its music and performances. However, AR Rahman was concerned that Kun Faya Kun, one of the most popular songs on the album, would end up hurting religious sentiments.
Appearing on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, Imtiaz Ali said, “We were brainstorming about the lyrics; we wanted something nice and traditional. Irshad suggested ‘Kun Faya Kun’ to Rahman. Rahman was chakachaund (stunned) at the idea, and he asked, ‘Really? Are you sure?’ I didn’t know what the words exactly meant, but both Rahman and Irshad were aware. ‘Kun Faya Kun’ is directly from the Quran. The sentiment is also invoked in the Bible, and it reminded me of a line that I’d read as a child in the Rig Veda. It basically means, ‘Be, and it was’ in the Bible, or, as I remembered it from the Vedas, ‘Then, even nothingness was not’.”
He continued, “I strongly believe that most religious texts are trying to communicate the same ideas in different languages. Whether it’s the Quran, the Bible, or the Rig Veda, when it comes to the idea of creation, it’s usually… But Rahman didn’t want to offend anybody, we didn’t want to offend anybody, because whenever you talk about faith, you have to be careful because it isn’t our intention to hurt anybody. We asked around, discussed it, and finally decided to go ahead, but with sensitivity. We made sure to be careful not only with the song, but also with the visuals, because we didn’t want offend anyone.”
A decade after its release, Rockstar has once again hit theatres, drawing cinema buffs in large numbers. The Imtiaz Ali directorial was recently re-released in a couple of cinema halls. The film’s screening began as a token release on select properties and later gained momentum, raking in over Rs 1 crore at the box office, as per a report in Pinkvilla.
The demand for watching the re-release of Rockstar increased on a day-to-day basis, thus prompting theatres to extend it to a two-week run. During this time, the film reportedly earned around Rs 1.10 crore in India. With such a limited time and few screens, the results turned out to be promising for a decade-old film.
Comments
0 comment