Golden Globe winner M M Keeravani on SS Rajamouli: 'He's the only person who can reach out to me even in the bathroom'

M M Keeravani, the maverick music composter who recently won the Golden Globe for RRR, talks about SS Rajamouli, being bestowed with such a prestigious honour in an exclusive interview with Firstpost.

Congratulations, you’ve done it. India’s first Golden Globe?

Yes, I believe this is our first Golden Globe, although Rahman Sir did get us the Golden Globe and Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.

But Slumdog Millionaire was not an Indian production. So this is our first?

Thank you, Sir. But it’s not only me. It’s the entire team of RRR. If we’ve done the country proud then we are very happy and proud.

Very honestly, do you feel Naatu naatu is a better song than some of what you’ve composed in the past like Jadoo hai nasha hai in the Hindi film Jism?

Very honestly, Sir. It is my best team work. It is the collective victory of the RRR team , especially Rajamouli, who is my cousin and who is the only person in the world who is allowed to invade my private space.

What do you mean?

Let me explain, Sir. Rajamouli and I have worked on ….I think, twelve films together starting with his first Student No.1. We are not only cousins but also close friends, and we share a deep mutual respect for each other. He gives me a lot of creative space to compose songs the way I want to. At the same time he has earned the right to enter my private space whenever he wants. Rajamouli is the only person in the world who can reach me at any time of the night or day. I can be in the bathroom or bedroom. He can knock and get me to come out. That’s the kind of kinship we share.

How did the Naatu naatu song happen?

It was a dance number set during a particular period where the two heroes NTR Jr and Ramcharan were to express their brotherly love for one another. That was all the brief I got from Rajamouli. We took it up from there.

I personally preferred your recent absolutely esoteric enchanting music in Krish Jagarlamudi’s Kanda Polam?

Yes, that was a completely new challenge for me. But the film didn’t do well ,Sir. And you know as well I do that in this business, you are as good as your last hit. That’s why after this (the Golden Globe) I’ve taken two vows .

What are they?

The first vow is to work on independent songs and albums. From the time my career started the fate of my songs has been dependent on the box-office success of films. I want to create a body of songs independent of films.

And what is the second vow?

To take care of my health, Sir. For too long now I’ve neglected my health. It was only at the Golden Globe when even standing and giving the speech became a problem that I became aware of my obesity.

You are not obese!

No, Sir let’s face it. I am out of shape. If the body is not healthy, the mind cannot be fully functional. If I am going to compose more songs that make my country proud, I’ve to be healthy in both body and mind.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based journalist. He has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out.

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