Brothers in Music: The AR Rahman Edition

Swaroop | Sharan
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Join us, two brothers, on a musical journey as we methodically explore the rich discography of Oscar-winning Indian composer A R Rahman, year by year, from 1992 to 2024. Discover the genius behind the music in each episode!

  1. Aug 2

    Cockroaches x A R Rahman: The Collab No One Saw Coming

    In this episode, we are joined by political scientist Apurva Bamezai to discuss the extraordinary afterlife of A. R. Rahman’s music in the recent Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protests. Led largely by Gen Z, these protests have taken India by storm and forced the resignation of a sitting government minister.  We discuss the many Rahman songs that have found new life through the protests and gone viral again, drawing from films as varied as Yuva, Swades, Rang De Basanti, and Rockstar. We talk about attending the protests, joy-scrolling (!) through Instagram reels, and watching the music that millennials like us came of age to become the soundtrack of a new, young, brave India.  Why is Rahman’s music so uniquely suited to channelling both the rage of the country’s youth and the joyful, carnivalesque spirit of their protests? What makes his music seem so impervious to the passage of time? How does it unite folks from across the country? Join us as we try to find out. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

  2. Jan 19

    1999 (Part 1)

    1999 is a turning point year for A. R. Rahman—not just in output, but in sound, ambition, and the scale of collaboration. In this episode of Brothers in Music: The A. R. Rahman Edition, we dive deep into four albums that capture Rahman at his most expansive and experimental: Takshak, Mudhalvan, Kadhalar Dhinam, and Sangamam. Joining us is Arvind Murali—jazz bassist, music arranger, podcast host, and someone who encountered Rahman and his close collaborators professionally in the late 1990s. That lived proximity gives this conversation a different texture: part listener’s deep dive, part practitioner’s reflection, part oral history. Across a long, free-flowing conversation, we move well beyond album rankings. We talk about: how arrangements were conceived and layered in the 90sthe changing role of musicians, arrangers, and technology in Indian film musicRahman’s working style and studio culture during this periodwhat has changed—and what hasn’t—as music production shifts toward software-driven and AI-assisted workflowsThe result is an episode that sits at the intersection of music listening, music making, and music history—using Rahman’s 1999 catalogue as a lens to think about craft, collaboration, and change. As always, this one drops straight into conversation. No preamble. Just three people in a room, listening closely.  The episode was edited by the remarkable Nihar Mamidipudi. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

    1999 (Part 1)

  3. 12/13/2025

    1998 (Part 2: 1947 Earth)

    We’re still in 1998. But this time, we turn to 1947 Earth. If Dil Se was all motion and intensity, this album does the opposite. It slows us down. It asks us to sit with history, with fracture, and with the quiet that follows violence. 1947 Earth is one of Rahman’s most deliberate soundtracks: a truly complete album. Every song belongs to the same emotional world. Nothing spills over. The music doesn’t decorate the film; it carries it. Through restraint, repetition, and silence, Rahman builds a soundscape that mirrors the film’s central concern: how politics enters everyday life and tears it apart. We’re joined once again by the writer Samanth Subramanian, and together we talk about the album, the film, and Rahman’s distinct sound. We look closely at the connection between Ishwar Allah and Raghupati Raghava: two songs built on the same melodic spine, moving in parallel, yet landing very differently. This episode was edited and mastered by Nihar Mamidipudi. Podcast Instagram: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

    1998 (Part 2: 1947 Earth)

  4. 11/11/2025

    1998 (Part 1: Dil Se)

    Welcome back to Brothers in Music: The A. R. Rahman Edition.  We’re in 1998 — the year Dil Se burst into our lives, our cassette players, and our television screens. The image is still impossible to forget: Shah Rukh Khan dancing atop a moving train to Chaiyya Chaiyya, while Rahman’s music thundered across the country. For many, Dil Se isn’t just another Rahman album — it’s the Rahman album. Every track is a classic, every song remembered and reinterpreted even twenty-seven years later. It’s an album that captures the intensity of youth, love, and longing, wrapped in sounds that feel at once global and deeply Indian. Joining us for this episode is the writer Samanth Subramanian. Together, we dive into the jokes, the analysis, and the nostalgia that Dil Se evokes. You’ll hear Swaroop’s story of being stranded in Mangalore, a hundred kilometres from home, with nothing but a Dil Se cassette for company; Samanth’s memory of discovering boy-meets-school-bench Chaiyya Chaiyya; and us unpacking how a single note — just one change — can turn a theme of doomed love into a song of grand romance. We go deep into the album’s musical architecture too — from the haunting strains of Raag Jog to Rahman’s playful departures from classical form. The way he leaves out a note, bends another, and in doing so, creates something that feels ineffably emotional: part sorrow, part transcendence. So tune in, as we remember, argue, laugh, play the flute and some piano, and maybe hum along. Because this is Dil Se, and this is Rahman at his most incandescent. This episode was edited and mastered by Nihar Mamidipudi. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

  5. 08/17/2025

    1997: Vande Mataram

    In 1997, as India marked fifty years of independence, A. R. Rahman released Vande Mataram—an album unlike anything before or since. Fresh, fearless, and unforgettable, it was a cultural moment as much as a musical one. The sound was new, the concept bold, the music nothing short of phenomenal. It wasn’t just an album; it was an event that captured the imagination of a generation. In this episode, we revisit Vande Mataram. We break down the songs the way we always do—listening closely to Rahman’s craft, the layers of sound, the unexpected turns, the sheer emotional power. We explore the anthemic title track that has endured as a modern classic, his haunting reinterpretations of the original Vande Mataram through ragas, and the hidden gems that sit alongside them: the playfulness of Tauba Tauba, the yearning of Only You, and more. But we also zoom out. We ask what it meant to encounter this album in 1997, when India was reflecting on fifty years of freedom yet grappling with its fractures. We look at how Rahman, through this work, became more than a composer—how he came to embody a syncretic, pan-Indian, and pan-global sensibility. In Vande Mataram, we hear not just great music, but an India imagined at its most plural, open, and diverse. An India still worth striving for, still worth fighting for. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

  6. 06/27/2025

    1997 (Part 2)

    Welcome back to Brothers in Music: The A R Rahman Edition. We’re still in 1997, and in this episode, we continue to be joined by Sowmiya Ashok (@sowmiyashok on Twitter/@sowmiyashok.writes on Insta).  We’re taking on two albums that couldn’t be more different—Iruvar and Ratchagan. Iruvar is, in many ways, a masterpiece. Arguably Mani Ratnam’s greatest film, and one of Rahman’s most elegant, classically rooted soundtracks. It’s an album of restraint and richness, where each song feels like a tribute to an era, a genre, a mood. It’s not just music: it’s memory, it’s cinema. Then there’s Ratchagan. A completely different beast. This one split the room, but not the Brothers. Swaroop and Sharan are Team Ratchagan. Our guest Sowmiya Ashok, however, wasn’t quite convinced. Still, we make the case: behind the flashy production and dramatic arrangements lies some truly underrated Rahman magic. If you haven’t revisited this album in a while, trust us, it’s worth it. So join us as we argue, remember, and occasionally burst into laughter (if not song). Because this is 1997, and Rahman is just getting started. This episode was edited by the inimitable Nihar Mamidipudi. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

  7. 06/01/2025

    1997 (Part 1)

    Welcome back to Brothers in Music: The A R Rahman Edition. It’s 1997, and as always, we’re starting you off right in the thick of it—no prelude, no buildup. Just the music, the conversation, and the joy of revisiting Rahman’s incredible journey. This episode, we’re joined by journalist and writer Sowmiya Ashok (@sowmiyashok  on Twitter/@sowmiyashok.writes on Insta).  In Part 1, we tackle two albums that sit at completely different ends of the Rahman spectrum—Minsara Kanavu (or Sapnay for Hindi listeners) and Daud. Minsara Kanavu is lush, layered, and bursting with invention. It’s Rahman in a whimsical, almost theatrical mode—full of choral highs, playful detours, and an emotional core that sneaks up on you. It’s also one of those albums where everything—from arrangement to vocal casting—feels just right. Daud, on the other hand, left us scratching our heads. It’s offbeat, chaotic, and hard to pin down. And maybe that’s the point. Remo Fernandes’ eccentric title track sets the tone for an album that refuses to play by the rules. Whether it fully lands is up for debate—but it’s Rahman trying something wild, and that’s always worth a listen. 1997 was a year of flux—a time when Rahman was beginning to stretch the limits of what mainstream film music could sound like. And as we’ll see in the rest of the year, that journey was just getting started. So settle in, hit play, and join us for a year that’s strange, soulful, and never boring. This is Brothers in Music, and this is 1997. This episode was edited by the amazing Nihar Mamidipudi. Podcast Insta: @brothers.in.music Swaroop: @tnagartornado on X and Instagram. Sharan: @sharanidli on X; M R Sharan on LinkedIn.

  8. 03/09/2025

    1996

    Send us a text Welcome back to "Brothers in Music: The A R Rahman Edition"—Season 2 is here, and we're diving straight into 1996! No formalities, no prelude—just you, right in the middle of our conversation, as if you’re sitting with us. 1996 was another groundbreaking year for Rahman, one that saw him experiment, redefine genres, and push boundaries in ways only he could. This year gave us an eclectic mix of soundtracks—some instantly iconic, others quietly influential. We start with Love Bi...

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Join us, two brothers, on a musical journey as we methodically explore the rich discography of Oscar-winning Indian composer A R Rahman, year by year, from 1992 to 2024. Discover the genius behind the music in each episode!

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