AR Rahman recalls making ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ music in three weeks

AR Rahman has recalled how his collaboration with director Danny Boyle on Slumdog Millionaire almost did not happen, saying he was initially advised against working with the filmmaker. Rahman also discussed completing the film’s music in about three weeks and the circumstances surrounding the final version of “Jai Ho”.

The composer spoke about the project in an interview conducted by Hasan Minhaj. According to Rahman, Boyle first contacted him by email in 2008, beginning a collaboration that later resulted in the music for the film.

A collaboration Rahman was warned against

Rahman said he was initially advised not to work with Boyle. The source material does not identify who gave him that advice, but the composer’s recollection indicates that there were reservations about the collaboration before it went ahead.

Despite those concerns, Boyle and Rahman worked together on Slumdog Millionaire. Rahman said he completed the music for the film in about three weeks, a short period for a feature-film score.

The project went on to earn Rahman two Oscars for his work on Slumdog Millionaire. The awards established the film’s music as one of the most significant parts of the collaboration, although the supplied information does not specify the award categories.

What Rahman said about “Jai Ho”

Rahman also recalled that the video for “Jai Ho” had already been filmed when the song’s final version changed. He did not, in the supplied account, detail the nature of the change or explain how it affected the completed video.

The recollection adds another layer to the song’s production history. It shows that the version ultimately associated with “Jai Ho” was finalised after filming for its video had already taken place.

Boyle’s first email to Rahman in 2008, the composer’s three-week timeline and the later changes to “Jai Ho” were discussed together in the interview with Minhaj. The details offer Rahman’s account of how the music for the film came together under a compressed schedule.

Rahman’s comments revisit a project that began with uncertainty over whether he should work with Boyle but ultimately led to an Oscar-winning musical collaboration. They also highlight the late-stage changes involved in bringing “Jai Ho” to its final form.