AR Rahman with his haul of two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire raises the bar for excellence
The name A R Rahman has become a chant by now in America, and the reticent musician is clearly elated. “I am very excited, it (the evening of the 81st Academy Awards) has been a lovely amalgamation of Indian and American people. The love and response that we have received has been immense.”
Was he expecting to win?
“I was expecting nothing, I had no expectations at all. There had been speculation here that we would not receive the award as the music is very Indian. So I was completely engrossed and concentrating on the performance. When I got the first award I went numb. On receiving the second award I realised the impact. I feel that that this can be seen as a bridge or a starting point for India. People have an aversion to different cultures. That this film has been so hugely accepted by the Americans is a great crossover.”
“It totally felt like it was an Indian evening, with the Americans watching it. I loved the way the kids came and we all started crying in the end.”
Speaking about the song which gave him his second Oscar in one night, he says, “Jai ho! Each and every word that is spoken has power. Jai ho has a very positive and powerful vibration — a word that defines ambition, the action of life. Subhash Ghai gave me an idea that just as the film professed destiny to be a miracle, this was in our destiny indeed. It was written in the stars.”
“It was fun having my mother here. I was not scared. I don’t like to make music with any expectation because that leads to corruption.”
The deeply-religious Rahman who only composes in the night is very clear about staying away from any corrupting influence. Recalls film critic and film director Khalid Mohamad: ”Once while recording for Zubeida, Farooq Ratansey, Shyam Benegal and I went to Rahman’s studio late at night. I had had my share of wine and Shyam had a few pegs of whisky before going to the studio. We had no idea that Rahman frowned upon drinking or smoking. As soon as we got in Rahman sniffed the air and asked, ‘What have you had?’ His tone was dead serious. He made dear old Benegal go out with a glass of water to rinse his mouth and only then was he allowed inside.”
CELEBRATION IN CHENNAI
Rahman’s world in Chennai is very different from the hoopla of the Oscars. At his K M Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam, the atmosphere is like that of a place of learning. And there’s only one guru. R Ranjit, 23, an A R Rahman fan, a sound engineer in the making and who was among the many fans lined up at Rahman’s sister’s house in Valasaravakkam in Chennai, believes the Academy award came too late in the day.
Raihana, Rahman’s elder sister and a singer herself, says, “The whole of India had prayed for Rahman to get this award, and he did.”
At the school where Rahman visits his disciples once a month, listening to them play, the students had organised a giant screen and had all woken up at 6 am to watch the award ceremony. “We are ecstatic,” says Jai, 26, who is undergoing a foundation course in piano at the conservatory. Rahman’s family sent payasam (kheer) for the students and staff.
T Kalaimagan, who is doing a preparatory course in the conservatory, was still blissed out from the lingual connect. “Ellapugazhum Iraivanukkae’’ (All Glory to God) uttered by Rahman are the first Tamil words spoken by anyone in the history of the Academy Awards.” That’s typical Rahman says friend of over 30 years Bharatbala, with whom Rahman has worked on several projects. “The way he spoke in Tamil at the Oscars speaks volumes of his humbleness.”
The name A R Rahman has become a chant by now in America, and the reticent musician is clearly elated. “I am very excited, it (the evening of the 81st Academy Awards) has been a lovely amalgamation of Indian and American people. The love and response that we have received has been immense.”
Was he expecting to win?
“I was expecting nothing, I had no expectations at all. There had been speculation here that we would not receive the award as the music is very Indian. So I was completely engrossed and concentrating on the performance. When I got the first award I went numb. On receiving the second award I realised the impact. I feel that that this can be seen as a bridge or a starting point for India. People have an aversion to different cultures. That this film has been so hugely accepted by the Americans is a great crossover.”
“It totally felt like it was an Indian evening, with the Americans watching it. I loved the way the kids came and we all started crying in the end.”
Speaking about the song which gave him his second Oscar in one night, he says, “Jai ho! Each and every word that is spoken has power. Jai ho has a very positive and powerful vibration — a word that defines ambition, the action of life. Subhash Ghai gave me an idea that just as the film professed destiny to be a miracle, this was in our destiny indeed. It was written in the stars.”
“It was fun having my mother here. I was not scared. I don’t like to make music with any expectation because that leads to corruption.”
The deeply-religious Rahman who only composes in the night is very clear about staying away from any corrupting influence. Recalls film critic and film director Khalid Mohamad: ”Once while recording for Zubeida, Farooq Ratansey, Shyam Benegal and I went to Rahman’s studio late at night. I had had my share of wine and Shyam had a few pegs of whisky before going to the studio. We had no idea that Rahman frowned upon drinking or smoking. As soon as we got in Rahman sniffed the air and asked, ‘What have you had?’ His tone was dead serious. He made dear old Benegal go out with a glass of water to rinse his mouth and only then was he allowed inside.”
CELEBRATION IN CHENNAI
Rahman’s world in Chennai is very different from the hoopla of the Oscars. At his K M Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam, the atmosphere is like that of a place of learning. And there’s only one guru. R Ranjit, 23, an A R Rahman fan, a sound engineer in the making and who was among the many fans lined up at Rahman’s sister’s house in Valasaravakkam in Chennai, believes the Academy award came too late in the day.
Raihana, Rahman’s elder sister and a singer herself, says, “The whole of India had prayed for Rahman to get this award, and he did.”
At the school where Rahman visits his disciples once a month, listening to them play, the students had organised a giant screen and had all woken up at 6 am to watch the award ceremony. “We are ecstatic,” says Jai, 26, who is undergoing a foundation course in piano at the conservatory. Rahman’s family sent payasam (kheer) for the students and staff.
T Kalaimagan, who is doing a preparatory course in the conservatory, was still blissed out from the lingual connect. “Ellapugazhum Iraivanukkae’’ (All Glory to God) uttered by Rahman are the first Tamil words spoken by anyone in the history of the Academy Awards.” That’s typical Rahman says friend of over 30 years Bharatbala, with whom Rahman has worked on several projects. “The way he spoke in Tamil at the Oscars speaks volumes of his humbleness.”
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