More to Ash-Abhishek's Guru jig

Mumbai: After the release of the premium soundtrack of Guru, maverick composer A R Rahman has been asked by director Mani Ratnam to compose two more songs for the Abhishek Bachchan-Aishwarya Rai starrer.

"The two songs are a part of the background score. It happens with Rahman and me in most of our scores. A song sometimes adds so much to an emotion it seems to have a direct connect with the viewer. In our collaborations the music just keeps flowing in. Rahman, of course, is magical. We should find a way to get these tracks on to the CD," Ratnam said.

Rahman too trusts the director's instinct and is not disturbed by this last minute addition.

"One of the new songs is sung by Soumya Rao. It will come in the second half of the film; the other is in the nature of a thematic refrain - a chant. I guess Mani saw the need to enhance the musical output. Yes, the numbers are not on the CD. But that should add to the expectancy level of the film. Don't you think,” Rahman said.

Rahman started the year with Rang De Basanti (RDB) and concluded it with Guru.

"Both are totally different. RDB is more youth-oriented. Guru is more personality-oriented. RDB was a bigger challenge. It was a totally new sound and we worked really hard to get it right. In Guru Mani Ratnam and I have a track record. This is our ninth film together. Where does Guru belong? You never know how the audience reacts to a score," said Rahman.

In spite of success, Rahman is selecting movie scores very carefully in Bollywood.

"Better that way after what has happened to some of my best scores in recent times," Rahman said.

"Right now I'm working on Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodha-Akbar. I also have Shankar's Shivaji with Rajnikant in Tamil. It's one of my biggest projects. But that's it. I'd rather not do more film projects because I've the reputation of being tardy to live up to.”

"I also have two albums ready for release on my own label. One is a classical Hindustani album by Ghulam Mustafa Khan, his sons and students. The other is a more contemporary theme,” he said.

In the coming year Rahman has several international plans.

"If the Oscar for my RDB and Water songs happens, I'll have to find time for things to do abroad. Then there's Mani's Lajjo, which takes me to a totally different territory."