Rahman A. R. - Notes of a dream: the authorized biography of A. R. Rahman

P ali Hill is one of Mumbais most upscale areas. The neighbourhood lies along the coast and is, despite the name, made up of several hills. It is clean and quiet; the trees lining the roads seem to wall it off from the rest of the frenzied, grimy city. So its hardly surprising that some of Indias top names in entertainment, business and politics elect to live in this part of town. To them, Pali Hill is just what the doctor ordered: an elusive haven of privacy on an overpopulated island of endless bustle.

Nargis Dutt Road cuts through the heart of Pali Hillalmost. The road is named after an actress still widely thought of as one of Hindi cinemas all-time greats, and, fittingly enough, the houses and apartments that the street hosts are often used as shooting locations.

No. 75 Nargis Dutt Road is a large house with multiple doors and lush grounds. A strange but charming place, nearly half of its grounds are well below the level of the building itself. You will see a stone stairway running down into a backyard as soon as you walk in through the black iron gate. And there is another staircase youll need to climb up if you want to get from the yard to the back door. When youre done ascending this staircase, you feel like youve reached the first floor, but then you figure out youre actually on the houses groundand onlyfloor. It takes some getting used to.

The sun has nearly set on Mumbai, but No. 75 is a hive of activity. The houses living room and the hallways around it are all brightly lit by shooting lights, which amplify the punishing heat of the Indian summer. The dark-wood interiors of the house are reminiscent of a small Himalayan-town home.

In a corner of the living room is the projects lead actor: a tall, dashing young man from Kashmir by the name of Ehan Bhat. This is his first film, but he has been preparing for it for a long timethree years to be preciseand appears to be fully at ease. By his side is Tenzin Dalha, a young actor from Tibet who has appeared in several Hindi films previously. Tenzin plays the best friend of Ehans character.

The name of the picture being shot: 99 Songs.

In addition to the two main performers are some twenty junior artists who have been brought in to people the house.

Movie sets are hotspots for mayhem. Simple scenes involving a few people can turn out to be logistical and creative nightmares even for the most experienced of film-makers. Tempers run high. The strain of getting the best possible performances, the perfect shot, can often manifest in unpleasant ways.

So the first thing you notice about this set is how systematic everything is. There is certainly no want of activity. A multitude of things need continual management. Dozens of people are scrambling about, identifying and maintaining the right level of lighting. Some work to ensure that the actors look fresh at all times. Others make sure each prop, each strand of hair, is in the exact same place before every take.

There is a production team sitting in the sunken backyard of the house, endlessly checking and paying bills and arranging for whatever the shoot needs to progress smoothly.

To top it all, there is a shih-tzu named Chivas on the set whos a part of the scene and has to constantly be kept cool.

So there is plenty going on. But things just dont spiral down into a storm of chaos and screaming.

It is director Vishwesh Krishnamoorthys first feature film. Dressed in a black T-shirt and beige shorts, he is a plump, talkative man in his late thirties. He possesses a boyish excitement, a fiery and infectious passion for all things creative and infallible good cheer. He has spent the whole day shooting and is sweating profusely, but thats about the only sign of wear he shows. All right, people, lets make a movie! he roars vigorously, every once in a while.

But right now, he is silent. He is watching a replay of a take that has just been filmed, while the cast and crew wait quietly, intently, for the directors verdict.

When Vishwesh finally okays the take, the collective relief on the set is palpable. But they are far from complacent. This shoot is still in its early days and everybody is aware that there is a lot of work left. And the scenes are only going to get bigger, more complex.