Red Sea International Film Festival: Jeddah afflicted with Rahmaniyat

Past midnight on Saturday in Jeddah, music maestro AR Rahman, while talking about having overstayed on stage by “12 minutes and 7 seconds”, made the crowd at his live concert let its hair down for the one last time with two of his most foot-tapping compositions—Humma Humma from Bombay and Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se. At the end of the exhilarating performance—one of the highlights of the second edition of the Red Sea International Film Festival—thousands of ARR fans were still left asking for more.

Held at the outdoor theatre at Al Hamra Corniche opposite the Ritz Carlton hotel, the show had a thoughtfully curated package of Rahman’s old and new songs, in Tamil as well as Hindi, showcasing the eclecticism of Indian classical and folk music traditions, even as he kept reminding the audience all through the concert about India’s rich cultural diversity.  

His audience was just as varied—NRIs, Saudi locals as well as a sprinkling of foreign guests. A couple of his admirers had even travelled all the way from Riyadh to get to hear Rahman. As a band of boys danced next to the stage, a group of expat women could be seen swaying gently in the VIP enclosure. From extended families to couples with toddlers on their arms and shoulders and young women—some in hijab and others not—everyone seemed to have been afflicted with Rahmaniyat.  

With the Jeddah landmark King Fahd’s Fountain framing him on the left and the moon on the right, Rahman kicked off the show with the song that brought him international recognition—Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire. What followed was a feast of all his popular creations down the ages: Mukkalla Mukabala (Kadhalan), Enna Solla Pogirai (Kandukondain Kandukondain), Param Sundari (Mimi), Mahi Ve, Patakha Guddi (Highway), Uyire (Bombay), Mustafa Mustafa (Kadhal Desam), Dil Se Re (Dil Se), Haaye Rama (Rangeela), Ottagatha Kattiko (Gentleman) all the way to Ponni Nadhi (PS1).

It’s his sufi soul that brought out the best in Dum Mast Kalandar Mast Mast. For someone known to do Umrah every year, Rahman invoked the holy city of Jeddah as he brought on the most mystical, transcendental moment of the night with a rendition of Kun Faya Kun from Rockstar. His chanting of the Islamic phrase of blessing and peace in the song—“Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam”—has the capability of turning the most hardened of souls into believers. It certainly sent many in the crowd into a trance of spirituality beyond the religious, linguistic and cultural differences.