Syed Firdaus Ashraf

A R Rahman will stage his first concert in Mumbai for Smita Thackeray's Mukti Foundation on February 28.

Asked what made him agree to Thackeray's request, Rahman replied, "I have been involved in such programmes earlier. In Chennai, I did a similar programme for cancer patients."

Rahman's concert, Unity of Light, will take place at the suburban Andheri Sports Complex. Lending a supporting voice to Rahman are singers S P Balasubramanyam, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Sadhana Sargam, Alka Yagnik, Vasundhara Das and Mahalaxmi.

Smita Thackeray, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's daughter-in-law, said, "I am a great fan of Rahman's music. Rahman is a very quiet person -- his music speaks. I attended his Hyderabad concert. It was a great experience. I am grateful he has agreed to do this programme for us."

Commenting on the AIDS situation in the country, she said, "It is shameful that our country has the second-highest number of AIDS patients in the world. I want to increase the awareness level of this disease among our countrymen. I want every person in this country to make an effort to eradicate it. I appeal to the people who are attending this concert to come with a candle or torch to make this programme a success."

By Our Correspondent

Mumbai. Feb. 19: Music composer A.R. Rahman will be performing live for the first time in Mumbai later this month. The composer said in Mumbai on Wednesday, “I have been performing here, but only for award functions. On February 28, it will be my first ever concert in Mumbai and it is for a cause,” he said.

It was not every easy convincing Rahman to perform in the city, Smita Thackeray, chairperson of Mukti Foundation said. The foundation has been organising shows for the last seven years. She added, “Rahman has been performing all over the country. I heard the news and grabbed the opportunity...Of course, Gautam Gattani of Rapport Events, who is the event managers of the show was instrumental in getting hold of Rahman.”

Why did Mukti Foundation, which has been roping in filmstars all these years chose Rahman this time? “People have lost interest in actors and to coordinate dates with the stars is very taxing, besides, I am a great fan of A.R. Rahman and he is the best music composer in the country,” Smita Thackeray added

Since the concert is for a cause, all the singers “including Sonu Nigam, S.P. Balasubramiam, Vasundhra Das, Udit Narayan and Sukhvinder will be paid nominal fees.”

“I do agree that quite a few artistes don’t take their fees if it is for a cause. but I believe that an artiste should be given his due and should not waive off their fees completely,” Smita Thackeray added.

On whether with the proposal of reduction in the entertainment tax to about 10 per cent, will Mukti foundation be getting the concession, she said, “I have made an appeal to the government. I hope to get some rebate because the show is for a cause.”

Mumbaiites have been missing out on shows because of the high entertainment tax, but with the proposed reduction in the tax, Mumbai can hope to see more in the likes of Rahman. “I am here for entertainment and want Mumbaiites to have fun and promise to give them a good time. The cause is secondary for me,” Rahman said.

Place: Central Polytechnic-India Pistons ground, Taramani

Event: A R Rahman’s Unity of Light

Date: February 21

Time: 7 p.m.

The cause: In aid of children suffering from cancer, via the Mahesh Memorial Trust, the organisers of Unity of Light concert in Chennai.

Much to the delight of children with cancer, Rahman decided to drop in at the children's’ ward of the Cancer Hospital at Adyar on February 18. After bonding with the beaming children for 30-odd minutes, the maestro zipped off to prepare himself for the D-day. Film-maker Mani Ratnam, who is the trustee of the Mahesh Memorial Trust, was also present.

Rahman will be performing in Chennai for the first time. After much prodding, he agrees that he has been avoiding performances in India for sometime. ‘‘But that is because I know I can perform here whenever I want to.’’

The timing, says the maestro, is right. ‘‘Finally I am going to perform at my home (Chennai). And the fact that it is for a cause makes it even more special. I am also excited to meet my people,’’ says Rahman.

Incidentally, Rahman’s father also died of cancer. Recollecting his father’s experiences, he comments, ‘‘I was seven years when I first visited the cancer hospital. So I can understand the feelings of the children here. Also as a father, I empathise with parents who have to watch their children suffer.’’

Earlier this month, Rahman and his troupe performed at Kolkata and Hyderabad. Playback singers S P Balasubramanyam, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Janaki Devi, Sadhana Sargam, Sreenivasan, Chitra, Unni Krishnan, Sujatha, Vasundhara Dass and Mahalaxmi were part of Rahman’s troupe. ‘‘The response in Kolkata was tremendous. A crowd of 90,000 visited my concert,’’ he says. For the concerts in Kolkata the majority of the songs performed by Rahman were from Hindi films; while in Hyderabad it was a mixture of Hindi and Telugu.

In Chennai 80 per cent of the songs will be in Tamil, he says. After the Chennai performance, Rahman and his troupe will leave for Dubai, London, and the United States of America.

The earlier venue for the event — Guindy Race Course — had to be shifted because the golfers at the Race Course felt that the preparations for the concert will be an interruption to their game. And thus the team finalised Central Polytechnic-India Pistons ground at Taramani as the venue for the D-day.

Mani Ratnam, who is personally looking after the preparations at the venue, informed City Express that there are elaborate security arrangements at the venue and every minute detail has been taken care of.

Carpenters are busy sawing the wood needed for the almost 170-foot long stage. ‘‘We can easily accommodate a crowd of 40,000 at the venue,’’ says P Jayendra, another trustee.

Tickets for seating are priced at Rs 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000; and for standing Rs 1,250, 750, 500 and 250. You can pick your ticket from HDFC Bank, Foodworld, Musicworld, Landmark, Odyssey, Crafts and Weaves, Marrybrown, Konica, Global Adjustments and Higginbothams.

Rahman with a cancer patient.

HE IS pursuing his cause vigorously - to collect funds for the Mahesh Memorial Trust, set up in memory of late music director Mahesh.

A.R. Rahman said today that he had been avoiding performing in Chennai but it was time to face the people now and he would do so for the first time with a show that will feature all songs that he had helped make since 1992 until 2002.

The Chennai festival will have 80 per cent Tamil songs unlike the Calcutta or the Hyderabad show, which had a few Telugu numbers.

Clad in a royal blue turtle-neck tee-shirt and black trousers, which creased quite well at the ankle, he walked into the paediatric ward of the Cancer Institute at Adyar where children between 4 and 12 were waiting for him. He sat among the children and pacified one agitated four year old who was taken aback by all the attention he was receiving. Some children in the room tried to turn the child's attention from the `stranger' amidst them. When the flash bulbs began popping, one wondered who was more charmed - the children, the artiste or the cameras. As Rahman went around the wards, children trailed him.

He said he was `touched' by the meeting with the children. This is the first leg of his Unity of Light concert, World Tour 2003 which would be touring New York, Los Angeles and Toronto among other places.

The proceeds from the Chennai show will go to the Trust for the treatment of cancer among the less privileged children in the hospital. He said returning to Chennai brought back memories and recalled that his father had died of the same disease.

For Rahman, "Art is the biggest bridge for culture. Differences of religion are forgotten," and this he said was what his show would aim to do. He hoped that his efforts would help to `reduce the percentage of incidence' of this disease.

On what he planned to do with the money from the show in other parts of the world, he said, "I'll tell you later."

The organisers of the show expect the sale of tickets to pick up as it usually does a day or two before the show.

An enterprising 10-year-old boy managed to get a palm-sized notebook a few minutes before the music director left, so that Mr. Rahman could sign his name. The boy was so excited when his wish was fulfilled. He proudly showed the signature to anyone who was interested.

REVATHY MENON

Ratta-tatta-tat! Slam! Rattatatta-tat! Slam! – the unrelenting rhythm of plastic bottles beating against each other, and just about anything in the vicinity. The stands at the G M Balayogi Stadium at Gachibowli, were 'alive' with this jarring music.

Only, this is not a cricket or football match we are talking of, but a live concert featuring some of the biggest names in Indian film music.

Despite the best efforts of organisers and volunteers at the A R Rahman Unity of Light concert on Friday, there was little semblance of decorum among the audience at the show. Bottlerattling, whistling and walking up and down the seating area, while the singers performed on stage, displayed just how unsavvy Hyderabad is when it comes to concerts and shows.

"It was so embarrassing, as if a mela was on," says Savita, who was at the concert with her friends. "People getting up and walking all around, buying popcorn and cake while Lata Mangeshkar sings on stage," she exclaims.

Hyderabadis, it appears, are working towards earning a reputation for being among the worst behaved concert crowds in the country. The last time Lata Mangeshkar came to the city for a concert, she was singing to empty chairs.

Adnan Sami had some bottle throwing and smashing to face while he performed here last year. People might still remember the unruly behaviour some time ago, at a Shaan and Sagarika concert for Holi. Friday's concert was the latest to join the list.

After every song, there was a counter-performance from the audience – a ruckus that didn't end till the next song began. But the last straw was when right in the middle of a performance by Sukhwinder and Rahman, there was a loud boom from one of the stands, which had policemen rushing to the spot, concern written all over their faces.

"Some miscreant in the crowd set off a firecracker. The volunteers and the police managed to stop him from bursting any more crackers," says a spokesperson from Solus Media, co-organisers for the event.

The show went on nevertheless, with artistes Hariharan, S P Balasubramanyam, Udit Narayan, Sadhna Sargam, Sonu Nigam, Vasundhara Das, Sivamani, Sukhwinder and of course Lata Mangeshkar and A R Rahman, putting together a fabulous medley of scores from popular Hindi, Telugu and Tamil films.

A perfect show, had it not been tainted by what can only be called a spoilsport audience.

HYDERABAD: Living legends of Indian music Lata Mangeshkar and A R Rahman cast a spell over thousands of fans in this city, giving them a Valentine's Day gift they will never forget.

The "Unity of Light" concert at the G.M.C. Balayogi Stadium on Hyderabad's outskirts had young music director Rahman share the stage for the first time for a live performance with septuagenarian Lata, called India's Melody Queen.

The nearly five-hour performance by Rahman along with a host of singers saw the crowd dancing to some popular numbers and repeatedly asking for encores.

A galaxy of singers including Hariharan, Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Sadhana Sargam, Sukhvinder, Vasundhara Das and Mahalaxmi made the evening memorable for 20,000 music lovers.

With songs ranging from Rahman's early hit "Bombay" to the latest film "Saathiya" and from the melodious voice of veteran Lata to the popular young singer Sonu Nigam, the concert was a varied treat for the fans.

Part of Rahman's 15-city international tour, the concert catered to all, with the singers belting out songs in Hindi, English, Telugu and Tamil.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Surjit Singh Barnala was also present to hear the legendary Lata, whose musical career spans six decades.

While felicitating the veteran artiste, Barnala recalled his first meeting with Lata in 1950. "She has been dominating Indian music for more than five decades," the governor remarked.

Barnala also hailed Rahman's achievements in the music world in such a short span of time.

Rahman had burst into the Hindi film scene a decade ago and has since emerged as the top music director. His "Bombay Dreams", made in collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber, was a runaway hit on the London stage last year.

For some time, an air of sadness descended on the stadium as the singers remembered Kalpana Chawla, the India-born woman astronaut who died with six others when the U.S. space shuttle Columbia exploded February 1. Silence gripped the mammoth audience as Lata paid her a tribute by singing one of her old songs.

And the concert did not fail to mention the cricket World Cup, which is on in Africa. Wishing the Indian team good luck, the concert displayed some cricketing action on a giant screen before Udit Narayan and others sang songs from Aamir Khan's Oscar-nominated "Lagaan".

Also present in the audience was former Indian cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin, who has challenged in court a life ban imposed on him for his alleged involvement in match-fixing.

IN-CAMERA CRESCENDO: Music-maker A.R. Rahman at the Unity of Light show at Salt Lake stadium last week. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

On stage, all the artistes were singing Vande Mataram. In the stands, the paper torches that had burnt so bright during Chhaiya chhaiya were starting to flare up again, one by one. And perched on the highest gallery at Salt Lake stadium, on the night of February 1, taking it all in on his Sony hi-definition camera, was film-maker S. Muthu Ganesh.

“It was awesome,” Ganesh gushed later. This was just one of the magic moments he had captured during his city sojourn. The man from Chennai, who owns Fine Frames Productions, is travelling with Team Rahman on the Unity of Light concert tour.

“The project is the brainchild of Deepak Gattani (of Rapport Global, event managers for the show). We want to show A.R. Rahman through the eyes of the nation, and also capture the pulse of India through the adulation of the fans across the country. Every concert will add a shade to the theme, Unity of Light. It will be a docu-feature, something like Woodstock, the Movie.”

The yet-unnamed project got the green signal at 3 am on January 26, six nights before The Telegraph Unity of Light concert in Calcutta. “We decided to shoot on wide background. I picked up this camera from Wizcraft, Bangalore, which has just acquired the first three pieces to reach India. This is what George Lucas had shot ET on.” From then on, it was a mad race against time, capturing the rehearsals at the Madras Race Course ground in Chennai, making the cuts and holding hasty meetings with the man himself.

“His (Rahman’s) involvement is amazing. Through the evening, he was in a series of meetings with music directors, discussing his forthcoming assignments. In the middle of it, he gives me a call and says: ‘Hold on, I’ll give you another track,’ and comes over to the studio with Mustafa Mustafa on a DAT player.”

But that did not surprise Ganesh. For he has known the king of the keyboard since 1989, while he was doing jingles for ad films. “Rahman can work the whole night at his studio and be in office at 8 o’clock the next morning if a meeting is scheduled,” he reveals. The master melody-maker also thinks ‘visually’. “The afternoon we came to Calcutta, I was supposed to have handed him the recording of the rehearsals by 5 pm. But the tapes reached late. So he had to see it on his laptop on the flight. The song Tauba tauba was supposed to have opened with a background scene of a single drum beating on the videoscope backstage. He wanted the footage to start with 50 drummers (‘It'll look better. You go ahead. I’ll change the track’, Rahman said).”

Ganesh is “thrilled” with the footage he has got — the little moments on stage, like the hug SPji gave Rahman, or the glint of light reflected on the silver foils that fell in a shower at the end… “I used up eight 50-minute tapes here,” he laughs. The morning before the concert, he was busy shooting the streets of Calcutta from a tram. “I ran it in stop block motion (one second per frame) to get the feel of life whizzing by before I zoom in on the stadium,” he explains.

The show over, it’s time to be back in the Chennai studios for a meeting with the Hyderabad team (where the concert is headed next), and Rahman himself. “I also plan to meet Mani Ratnam as Rahman is keen that I discuss the style of the project with ‘Mani sir’,” he says. The Chennai show, in fact, is a fundraiser for Ratnam’s Mahesh Cancer Trust, dedicated to the film-maker’s classmate Mahesh, director of the Kamalahasan starrer Kurdipunal, who succumbed to cancer recently.

A.R. Rahman with mother Kareema, moments before their departure on Sunday evening. “The people of Calcutta have given me the confidence for the rest of my Unity of Light concerts” were the composer’s parting words. Picture by Pabitra Das

Silence had descended over Salt Lake stadium late on Friday. The final rehearsal for next evening’s The Telegraph A.R. Rahman’s Unity of Light concert was over. Suddenly, the solitary figure of Allah Rakha Rahman slipped behind his keyboard and played a little bit of magic — ‘Zindagi ek safar hai suhana/Yahan kal kya ho kisne jana…’ As the last notes of the Kishore Kumar classic melted away, Rahman’s wistful eyes followed them into the distant darkness of the deserted stadium.

‘Kal’ (Saturday) had something special in store for Rahman and Calcutta. Same time, same place, the night after, the melody maestro was still on stage. But as his first live concert in India drew to a close, he was surrounded by 80,000 devotees.

“This is a miracle,” Rahman was to whisper to a confidant, even as he stepped off the stage. From there, he headed straight for the airport dargah. For the entire Rahman team, the real miracle moment was when the paper torches lit up the stands, with the crowd on its feet, dancing to Chhaiya Chhaiya, and then singing Ma Tujhe Salaam.

“I have to thank the audience for its encouragement, the Almighty for the weather and the mosquitoes of Salt Lake stadium for not bothering us. They were such a problem during the rehearsals, every time we opened our mouths to sing, they would sneak in,” Rahman said on Sunday.

There were more than a few technical hitches on Saturday evening, but the afternoon after, Rahman could look back with a smile. “The sound let us down but it was the crowd that lifted us and pulled us through. From 2 pm, hours before the show, there were these kids coming in. It was quite moving,” he recounted, after a leisurely lunch, with mother Kareema, sisters Rehana and Ishrat, and troupe.

Hours before that, he had dropped into MusicWorld on a mission. For 25 minutes, he browsed through the Bengali folk and film sections of the Park Street store, picking and choosing with the meticulous care of a man immersed in music. By the end of his stay, he had picked up quite a mix (see box).

During the afternoon chat, Rahman explained why: “I picked up Ray’s films and Baul songs, which I want to use in my future shows.” In green shirt and blue jeans, gone was the anxious fidget or the fingers-through-hair routine. In place was a relaxed performer after a job very well done, obliging young fans with autographs and acknowledging all the adulation.

This was not the Rahman that his team had known for the past two frenzied days. Either rehearsing at the stadium or conferencing with technicians, he was here, there, everywhere. “The night before, he was just praying,” said youngest sister Ishrat. And on the big night, reticent Rahman made an extra effort to connect. As a member of his retinue said: “I have never seen him open up so much or speak so much on stage.”

The composer clearly gave the Calcutta show his all — even planning an aerial shot of the stadium on concert night, but scrapping it at the last minute due to logistical problems. “We aimed for the skies but at least we ended on the roof,” he smiled, before retiring to his ITC Sonar Bangla room for a last round of prayers prior to his departure.

AR Rahman performs at The Telegraph Unity of Light concert in Calcutta. Picture by Pradip Sanyal

Calcutta, Feb. 1: Eighty-thousand spectators, 56,000 watts of sound, over 70 musicians, dozens of dancers, 10 singers, one winner — the rhythm of a man they all call Rahman.

He appeared in a shower of white and gold. As a dazzling curtain of sparks came down, Allah Rakha Rahman stood in the spotlight, at his Yamaha keyboard, playing the first notes of his first live concert in India.

He disappeared in a blaze of muted glory. As the 90-by-70 feet stage filled up with performers, Allah Rakha Rahman stood in the spotlight, mike to mouth, playing the last notes of his first live concert in India.

Between Don’t worry Kolkata, and Jana Gana Mana, between the fiery entry and the final bow, The Telegraph A.R. Rahman’s Unity of Light concert — presented by Hero Honda, in association with Emami Beauty Secrets by Madhuri, supported by ITC Sonar Bangla and National Insurance — had set the Salt Lake stadium alight, quite literally. Living up to the theme unifying the seven colours that form light and the seven notes that make music, the entire stadium was bathed in the light of paper mashaals held aloft in the stands as the sound of Rahman and Sukhwinder’s Chhaiya, Chhaiya cast a magic spell.

After a brief delay, having been held up in a concert-bound traffic snarl on the EM Bypass, Rahman could do no wrong for three-and-a-half hours. The man in black overcoat won ’em over with a local touch at the very beginning. “I was told that Calcutta is the best place to have my first concert. So here we are,” he said. “Kolkata, Kolkata, don’t worry Kolkata… Aamra tomari Kolkata,” he sang.

And the response to the man and his music was deafening. Enough to make the maestro softly remark at the end of the first of his 10 concerts around the world: “I am overwhelmed by the response. The people of Calcutta were fantastic. I couldn’t have hoped for a more encouraging start.”

The theme of music as a unifying force extended beyond just the name of the evening extravaganza.

“Music doesn’t have a religion. It doesn’t have any of the harmful things man possesses today,” said the melody-maker. In London he had met Rashid, the guitarist who shared the stage with him, tonight. Rashid, a jazz player who had told Rahman he liked his music and was welcomed to the world tour, sang the wordless intro to Ooh la la la… before handing it over to Rahman and "the rapper" Blaze. Later, Rahman and Rashid teamed up for a Bombay Dreams number.

With an array of artistes who have sung to Rahman's tunes over the years popping in and out, the line-up was formidable – S.P. Balasubramanayam, Sonu Nigam, Hariharan, Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Sadhana Sargam, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Vasundhara Das (referred by Rahman as the "most happening singers" around). But all eyes – and ears -- were on one man.

“Magician” and “music maestro” is what Pawan Munjal, managing director Hero Honda, had to say about the composer during a felicitation at the halfway mark of the concert. But that was only a brief pause in the roller-coaster ride of the top chartbusters of the past decade. The love anthem – Roja. The peppy number – Radha kaise na jale. The rabble rouser – Humma, Humma. The tribute to cricket, Bollywood-style – Mitwa. The ode to the nation – Bharat humko jaan se pyaara hai (with Rahman starting off on a giant piano before returning to the keyboard in his 'studio').

At a pause, while Rahman was tinkering with his keys and running his hand, yet again, through his sweat-soaked mop of unruly hair, “Vande Mataram” was a solitary cry that rose from a dark corner of the crowded stadium. The call was answered over an hour later, but it was well worth the wait.

"What, I can't hear you," smiled the maestro, as the cry for Vande Mataram reached a crescendo. As if on cue, a burst of fireworks lit up the night and the stage was set for Rahman to rock to his own rhythm. Ma Tujhe Salaam he sang, in the middle of the stage, the Tricolour flying high on the giant screen above, as mother Kareema clapped and the crowds stood to salute the keyboard king.

They remained on their feet as Jana Gana Mana filled the February night. Clearly, the rhythm of Rahman rules.

AR Rahman rehearsing at the Salt Lake stadium on the eve of his concert. Picture by Pabitra Das

Calcutta, Jan. 31: It’s still a surprise, but here’s a sneak peek: A Rahman classic — one of the first — not in Tamil, not in Hindi, but in Bengali. The rest is under wraps till tomorrow evening, when the moon shines on The Telegraph Unity of Light concert, presented by Hero Honda in association with Emami Beauty Secrets by Madhuri.

If the “translation” isn’t treat enough for his formidable Calcutta fan following, he has more surprises up his synthesiser

Allah Rakha Rahman never takes his music lightly. Proof of this pudding will be in the hearing — all 56,000 watts of it. With over 70 musicians on stage, the man who shot to fame with Roja is doing his best to take his Calcutta fans inside his studio.

“I am trying to recreate 10 years of music, from 1992 to 2002,” he said, fidgeting like a schoolboy before an exam, barely 24 hours before he takes the stage for the first time in India.

Rahman, who arrived in Calcutta late yesterday, spent the morning at the Salt Lake stadium, tinkering around on the keyboards, looking into the “teething trouble” even as the construction of the 90ft-by-70ft stage was in full swing.

The music whizkid, who also made time for a trip to a Park Circus dargah, still travels with his family. Mother Kareema and sisters Rehana and Ishrat are with him in Calcutta. “My sisters sing with me. My mother came along… After all, someone has to pray!” smiled Rahman, casual in grey trousers and black full-sleeved shirt.

Admitting that he is “not a performer, more a studio person”, Rahman has been “getting over inhibitions” on foreign turf (he has previously performed in Malaysia, Dubai and the United States). “I thought that would be a good way to learn, before having shows here,” he said, having never performed before a crowd comparable to the Salt Lake stadium capacity of 1,00,000. In Dubai and Malaysia, the Bombay and Bombay Dreams boy drew a maximum crowd of 40,000.

Those working with the man himself don’t take his performance anxiety as a negative, rather the mark of a perfectionist. “It is Rahman’s vision to deliver the same quality of sound of the studios,” explained H. Sridhar, chief sound engineer for the music director-singer since “well before the Roja days”.

“His presence is something magical for us… and for audiences. He can always feel the pulse. Even if he changes two notes, he can work miracles,” Sridhar added. In terms of sound input and technology and number of musicians, Sridhar feels the first Unity of Light extravaganza, co-sponsored by National Insurance and ITC Sonar Bangla, is “bigger than any concert in India”, so far.

It is also bigger than any of Rahman’s gigs abroad, according to Deepak Gattani, managing director of Rapport Global Events, which managed the foreign tours and has worked closely with the music man to conceive the show.

“Rahman is a shy man, not vociferous at all… But he is getting used to performing and wanted to put up a show which involved communication,” says the Mumbai-based Gattani. So there are sections designed for the audience to sing along with the pros on stage.

, with a line-up of S.P. Balasubramanyam, Udit Narayan, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Sadhana Sargam, Mahalaxmi Iyer and Vasundhara Das.

And as Rahman walks to the distant ends of the stadium to make sure everything is just right, while the sun sets on Salt Lake stadium on the evening before the show, “performance anxiety” gives way to a man immersed in his music.

FIRST NIGHT, FIRST SHOW: A.R. Rahman. Picture by Pabitra Das

VOICES OF THE BIG NIGHT: Hariharan and Sonu Nigam

First night, first show: A.R. Rahman. Picture by Pabitra DasAn animated scene with Kipper: Coming soon to your tellyvoices of the big night: Hariharan and Sonu Nigam

From Deen Isai Malai, his debut album of Muslim devotional songs, and Set Me Free, Allah Rakha Rahman has come a long way. Now, at 37, the melody monarch has already waded into Bollywood’s hall of fame, made a splash in Broadway, and is paddling feelers from Hollywood. These days, of course, he is busy tying up the last loose ends for his February 1 mega-show at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Salt Lake, Calcutta.

A.R. Rahman’s Unity Of Light Concert, presented by The Telegraph, in association with Hero Honda and Emami Beauty Secrets by Madhuri, with ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton & Towers as the official host, promises to be the biggest audio-visual extravaganza the city has ever experienced.

The top names in Bollywood playback singing - S.P. Balasubramaniam, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Sukhwinder Singh, Sadhna Sargam, Vasundara Das and Mahalaxmi Iyer — will get the giant stadium swaying with their combined repertoire of superhit soundtracks.

“There will be 20,000 watts of pulsating sound, delivered from omni-drive long-throw, array speakers,” says Deepak Gattani, managing director of Mumbai-based production house Rapport Global, which is helping Rahman put the huge show together. Dutchman Benny Ball and Kiwi David Seaton, “both master light designers”, will create magic inside the stadium with “intelligent, pre-programmed” lights.

The 90 ft-by-60 ft split-level stage has been designed by Umang Kumar of awards nites fame. “It’s really special and gives you the feel of a ship with layered decks. I haven’t seen a stage like this at any Indian event before, and Calcutta can surely expect a real wacky show,” says Hariharan from Chennai, where more than 150 people have been working "day and night for the past eight months to make it happen”, and happen just right.

The 30-strong string and brass section, the percussion ensemble and the electronic group have all been jamming together at Rahman’s state-of-the-art Panchathan Record Inn studio in Chennai for weeks. “We have been doing dress rehearsals on a complete mock set-up with music, light and choreography, and the last full preparation drill has gone off smoothly, with Rahman on keyboard and piano at the helm,” Gattani declares.

The countdown to the February 1 mega-show is truly on, and the cry for a ticket to the enchanting evening is fast reaching fever pitch.