A R Rahman The Legend

 Rahman, Resul Jai Ho', 'Jai Ho Rehman, Resul', 'Resul, Rehman, Jai Ho', 'Jai Ho Resul, Rehman'... that's how the Slumdog Millionaire excitement looked in the headlines of dailies on Tuesday morning.
When Resul Pookutty became the fifth Indian and the first Malayali to win an Oscar, Vilakkupara, a village off Kollam, joined predictable datelines of Los Angeles, Mumbai and Chennai. Pookutty's family celebrated the moment at their ancestral house.

Even though Pookutty didn't quote Hindi dialogues or Tamil adages to the glitterati at Kodak Theatre, his Om speech became a hit. BJP daily Janmabhumi was so excited by the acknowledgement that it carried an additional edit on page 1 titled Omkara in Oscar.

"The unexpected words form Resul Pookutty eclipsed all announcements at the 81st Oscar. None of those who represented India at Oscar or other international fora has made such a declaration. Pookutty, who dedicated the award to the country, said he comes from a land which contributed a great sound to the world. When he said Om was that sound, the Keralite was referring to the secular Indian heritage."

Limelight on Vilakkupara (Madhyamam), A moment of prayer for this village (Chandrika), Vilakkupara to Oscar light (Janmabhumi) -- Pookutty's village hogged space on front pages. Malayala Manorama went to town with the second lead, Kerala at the Oscars. Editorials and comments galore.

Rehman, too, was a homegrown boy. His father RK Sekhar had composed a number of songs for Malayalam movies, where he worked with legends like G Devarajan.
Though Gulzar, who wrote the academy award-winning song Jai Ho, gave all credit to Rehman, dailies gave him due acknowledgement. Manorama and Mathrubhumi had Gulzar on the front page.

In the blinding limelight, everything else was eclipsed. chief minister VS Achuthanandan's land distribution in Munnar went to inside pages. Finance minister TM Thomas Isaac saw post-budget discussions coming to an abrupt end. CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan's and Congress state chief Ramesh Chennithala's road shows were relegated to the backdrop. After all, Oscars don't come everyday.

Slumdog Millionaire has had its moment of glory with it's eight Oscar sweeps. Everybody now wants a piece of the film, so it comes as no surprise that there has been an increased interest in the book from which the film's screenplay's been adapted - Q&A written by author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.

"Who could've imagined this book I wrote in my posting in London in 2003 would go on to become such a big international phenomenon," said Swarup.

Sales of the book have increased since the movie started creating a buzz last September. Oxford Bookstore and Crossword India confirmed to CNN-IBN.

The book was re-released as Slumdog Millionaire just when the Oscar nominations were announced in January, hooking even more readers.

And this sudden interest is not just limited to the book, the film's Oscar winning soundtrack by A R Rahman too has a whole new league of takers .

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The Oscar nominations were announced on January 22 and since then nearly 2,400 audio CDs were sold all over India. And with the film being made tax free in states like Haryana, this Slumdog is all set to be a millionaire.

It's the inquisitiveness that has helped drive the sales of the British production Slumdog Millionaire. It's a film which India will be proud of for a long, long time.

 LOS ANGELES: "Ella pughalum iraivanuke (All glory and fame is to god)" was how music maestro A R Rahman reacted to his double-Oscar feat

Besides god, the 'Mozart of Madras' also dedicated his Oscars to his "loving" mother Kareema Begum, who was seated among the audience at the Kodak theatre.

Rahman has always dedicated his awards to them. "I always had a choice between love and hate in my life. And I chose love and I am here," a beaming Rahman said at the Awards Ceremony.

Having shouldered the responsibilities of his family at the tender age of 9, Rahman never had an opportunity to get proper education in his life.

Kareema Begum had in an interview to a Tamil weekly said she will feel bad forever for not giving her son an opportunity to enjoy his childhood days.

As A R Rahman tapped his feet to `O Sayya' and belted out `Jai Ho!' for the audience in Hollywood, the transformation was complete. The Music composer AR Rahman wins two Oscars for Best Original Song and Original Score for 'Slumdog Millionaire'. (AP Photo) More Pictures shy, nervous Dilip Kumar who never spoke, the boy who never looked up, the boy who used to turn out the lights before he sang in front of anyone, had morphed into an international star.

He always knew he wanted to be famous. He dreamt — and told his friends too — that he wanted his music to be played all over the world. But it was a dream that took a long time to realize. As a young boy of 11, Rahman, then known as Dilip Kumar, saw his father R K Sekhar, a music arranger and composer, die of cancer. He didn't have time to mourn though, he had to pick up from where his father had left off and earn for the family of five. While his three sisters focused on academics, the young Dilip never managed to give books enough time. In the words of his teachers in Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, the school he went to until the ninth grade, ``He managed to scrape through.''

The young ARR spent all his time after school at the recording studio, playing keyboards for composers (having got the first set of job offers thanks to the goodwill of his father). There were days when his mother would be seen waiting for him outside school in the morning, uniform and breakfast in hand, according to his teachers. A studio van would drop off the tired Dilip who would be fed and changed by his mother before being rushed to school. The only reason the school remembers him is that during all the school programmes they needed him to play the keyboard — he was the best in school. He would also be called out of the classroom whenever there was a recording because his family simply could not afford to say no.

ARR had finally to drop out of Padma Seshadri in the ninth grade, and then out of school altogether, midway through class XI because he could not cope with both his studies and work. ``When I was a teenager, I was spending most of my time with 50-year-olds and 60-year-olds. They were very sweet people, yes. I felt I was one among them, it took a while to realise that I was actually much younger,'' says Rahman about his early life as a musician in the film industry when he played his keyboard for bigwigs of the Tamil industry such as Ilayaraja.

``What I learnt from them were values and ethics. And then there were things I learned not to do...I learned not to become complacent,'' he adds. ``And to look beyond what you are forbidden to look beyond.''

A lot has changed in A R Rahman's life over the years in terms of his personality as well as his music, but the two most important aspects of his life remain constant — God and his mother. He doesn't just say it every time he is on stage because it seems like the right thing to say. He truly believes that the first is the driving force in his life, the reason he is who he is. The second, quite simply, is the reason he is where he is.

 Washington, New Delhi, Oct 22 (UNI) Musical maestro A R Rehman has partnered with the United Nations and Endemol for a musical show for a cause. In what can be seen as a first initiative of its kind on Indian television, the legendary music director and singer Rehman, the United Nations and Endemol partner with the soon-to-be-launched Hindi General Entertainment Channel, 9X, for an entertaining show aimed at communicating the essence of the Millennium Development Goals across the length and breadth of the country.

Titled 'Mission Ustaad', the show will feature Rehman and some of the best singers, and entertainers, who will provide riveting musical entertainment for a cause.

Speaking on their channel's association with Rahman, promoter and group executive director, INX Media, Indrani Mukerjea, said,''It gives us great pleasure to partner with A R Rehman, the United Nations and Endemol India to present this unique show on Indian television.




I am convinced that the partnership would bring about the desired awakening among Indian viewers
Besides entertaining millions of viewers on 9X, 'Mission Ustaad' would communicate the essence of the Millennium Development Goals across the length and breadth of the country. We are confident that along with the rest of the line-up of the upcoming programmes on 9X, 'Mission Ustaad' would truly capture the hearts of the Indian viewers.''

Commenting on the show, A R Rehman said,''I am delighted to be part of 'Mission Ustaad' on 9X, where I would be joined by many eminent names from the entertainment industry. I am convinced that the partnership between 9X, UN and Endemol would bring about the desired awakening among Indian viewers, and the show would touch the hearts of the nation in a very entertaining manner.''

Said the UN Resident Coordinator, Maxine Olson,''we want to make poverty history through awareness and action around the MDGs. We believe 'Mission Ustaad', our joint endeavour, would inspire millions to action and thereby fulfill every Indian’s right to decent work, education and good health.''

Added the Director of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, Salil Shetty,''If India does not achieve the MDGs by 2015, the world would not achieve them. For the marginalised people of India - - the Dalits, the adivasis, minorities, and particularly women - - the Goals offer a real hope to achieve better education, health and livelihoods.

'Mission Ustaad' will act as a reminder that time is running out.'' At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders committed their nations to stronger global efforts to reduce poverty, improve health, promote peace, human rights and environmental sustainability.

On behalf of their people, they signed the Millennium Declaration and set out a series of time-bound targets -- the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- with a deadline of 2015,. India is among the 192 countries that have pledged to achieve the MDGs: the right of each person on the planet to food, decent work, health, education and shelter.

 It was a remarkable journey from Chennai to Hollywood for music maestro Allah Rakha Rahman who made a billion Indians proud, adding another feather in his cap by bagging two Oscars for his score in Slumdog Millionaire.

It was a Jai ho for the soft-spoken Rahman, hailed by Time Magazine as the 'Mozart of Madras', when he walked to receive the award for Best Original Score and Best Song Jai Ho.

The 'Mozart of Madras', who redefined contemporary Indian music and has been a role model for millions of Indians, has already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his music in Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

The 43-year-old music wizard, who has enthralled audience in the country and abroad with his heartwarming symphonies, is creating waves on the international stage with his composition in Slumdog Millionaire.

Born as A S Dileep Kumar in a musically affluent family in Chennai on January 6, 1966, he changed his name to Allah Rakha Rahman after his family converted to Islam in the late 1980's.

Rahman was forced to shoulder the responsibilities of his family at the age of nine after his father R K Shekhar, who was a composer, arranger and conductor for Malayalam movies, died due to illness.

The music genius came to the limelight with his music for a Bombay Dyeing ad and Leo Coffee in 1980's which became very popular.

But the major break in his career came when noted filmmaker Mani Ratnam approached Rahman, who was then a keyboard player with composer Illayaraja, to compose for his film Roja in 1992.

The music of the film, which was a refreshing change from the run-of-the-mill renditions, made Rahman a star overnight and brought him his maiden Best Music Director trophy at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a debutante film composer.

Rahman was introduced to the Hindi film industry in Ram Gopal Verma's Rangeela. The music of the film became a rage and the genius continued to give some brilliant compositions for films such as Bombay, Dil Se, Taal, Lagaan and Rang De Basanti among others.

What made Rahman's music click with the listeners was the refreshing use of percussions, sound and melody, most of which were inspired from the Indian folk music.

Rahman developed a trademark by mixing traditional Indian tunes with International beats from African drums to electronic funk. The composer is also famous for his fondness to the newest sound and technologies in the world of music.

His 1998 super-hit composition Chaiyya Chaiyya which was deeply rooted in Sufi mysticism, became a rage among Indians and is still considered one of the best compositions of the musician.

Rahman gradually became a known face on the international platform and in 1999 he performed with Michael Jackson in Munich for Michael Jackson and Friends Concert.

In 2002, he gave the music for his maiden stage production Bombay Dreams directed by legendary musical theatre composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber. Rahman's music was also a hit from London's West End to New York's Broadway.

In 2004, with Finnish folk music band Varttina, he composed the music for The Lord of the Rings theater production.

Rahman's composition Jai Ho for British director Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire has been lapped up by western audiences and made headlines when world renowned fashion designer John Galliano used it as a theme during his fashion show.

The music has already earned him the Critics Choice Award for Best Composer in 2008 and the Golden Globe in the category of Best Original Score.

A four-time National Award winner, Rahman was honoured with the Padma Shri and received six awards at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, besides 11 awards for his scores at the Filmfare and Filmfare Awards South each.

In 2006, he received an honorary award from Stanford University for his contributions to global music. In 1995, he also received the Mauritius National Award and a Malaysian Award.

The music director, who is known for his humble demeanour, gave a new definition to patriotism with his modern rendition of Vande Mataram. His latest tract Jiya Se Jiya is another attempt to send the message of peace and love through music.

Rahman, who maintains a low-profile, tied the knot with Sairo Bano in 1995 and the couple has three children -- Khadijah, Rahima and Aman.

The music composer is also involved with charitable causes and had conducted concerts to raise funds for cancer patients.

In 2004, Rahman was appointed as the global ambassador of the Stop TB partnership, a project by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He also recently launched the A R Rahman foundation, which is a step towards eradication of hunger and poverty.

Oscar-winning music maestro A.R. Rahman's media-shy better half Saira Banu walked the red carpet at the Kodak Theatre here for the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Clad in a black kurta-churidar by Sabyasachi Mukherjee, the demure wife of the maestro has by choice always maintained her distance from the limeligh till date. She was not a much known face among the Indians, let alone on the global platform before appearing at the awards.

Saira Banu was all over the TV screens worldwide when she walked the red carpet clinging to her husband's right arm throughout the ceremony.

Not much of a speaking lot, both husband and wife have had perhaps the maximum number of public appearances courtesy the worldwide success of Danny Boyle's Mumbai-based rags-to-riches story Slumdog Millionaire.

Rahman won two golden statuettes - for best original song Jai ho and best original score for the film.

The world is roaring at his feet. He was India’s past; he is truly India’s present and will for sure be India’s future too. The 81st Academy Awards will forever remain and will be cherished not just by the ace musician, but will be celebrated by every Indian living across the nation. Yes, A.R. Rahman is certainly the man of the moment, a name which is famous even on the slum children’s mouth.

Indian music maestro, A.R. Rahman has won two Oscars awards for Best Original song for “Jai Ho” and best background score. Rahman's win comes as the crowning glory and he truly deserves the honour, not just for this movie, but for the fabulous music he has been making for over a decade. Our heartiest congratulation goes to the musical genius A.R. Rahman. Let us take a sneak peak at his filmi (musical) career graph.

Born in Madras (now Chennai) on 6th January, 1966, Allah Rakha Rahman. Rahman played many instruments and later joined people like Zakir Hussain, M.S. Vishwanathan, and Ramesh Naidu on world tours. He soon obtained a degree in Trinity college, Oxford where he graduated with a degree in western classical music.

Rahman tasted the fruit of success in 1992 by providing music score and sound track to Mani Ratnam’s Roja. He was awarded with Rajat Kamal and best music director at National film awards.

Rahman worked wonders in many Tamil and Telugu movies. Some of his noted and renowned work in Hindi cinema which created a vibe for more than a decade are Roja (1992), Bombay (1995), Rangeela (1995), Fire(1996), Daud (1997), Dil Se, Earth (1998), Taal (1998), Zubeidaa, Nayak (2000), Lagaan (2001), Sathiya (2002), Lakeer, Meenaxi (2003), Yuva, Kisna, Swades (2004), Rang De Basanti, Guru (2006), Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Yuvraaj, Ghajini (2008), Slumdog Millionaire, Delhi 6 (2009). Rahman is working on many more projects which are yet to create history.

This is just a brief on the great renowned singer. He is truly a masterpiece in his department. He is certainly someone who has redefined the meaning of music and things related to music. We hope he brings us many more Oscars in the years to come. Jai Ho!

Slumdog Millionaire Bagged (Eight Out of Ten Awards):

Original Song - “Jai Ho,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar for Slumdog Millionaire

Original Score - A.R. Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Picture - Slumdog Millionaire

Director - Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Adapted Screenplay - Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire

Cinematography - Slumdog Millionaire

Film Editing - Slumdog Millionaire

Sound Mixing - Slumdog Millionaire

Actor in a Leading Role - Sean Penn for Milk

Actress in a Leading Role - Kate Winslet for The Reader

Actor in a Supporting Role - Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Actress in a Supporting Role - Penélope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Art Direction - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Original Screenplay - Dustin Lance Black for Milk

Animated Feature Film - WALL-E

Foreign Language Film - Departures from Japan

Makeup - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Costume Design - The Duchess

Animated Short Film - La Maison en Petits Cubes

Live Action Short Film - Spielzeugland

Sound Editing - The Dark Knight

Visual Effects - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Documentary Feature - Man on Wire

Documentary Short Subject - Smile Pinki

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award - Jerry Lewis

  
 

                
   



A R Rahman wins two Oscars awards as he wins the millions of hearts with his musical magic. A R Rahman won the best original song award for the song Jai Ho which was penned by Gulzar. While receving the first award he ended his speech as “Mera Pass Maa Hai” (I have my mom with me) and he dedicated his award to God as Yella Puzhalum Iraivanukke (all praises to God).

Jay Ho Song Remixed for PussyCat Dolls. The Golden Globe Award winning Song Jay Ho from Slum Dog Millianare, Composed By the Indian Music legend A R Rahman. Hear It From Here or Download It...

Below click on the Download Link...




Download

Dear Rahmaniac Brothers & Sisters, see our Boss winning BAFTA [British Academy of Film and Television Arts] AWARD. It is considered as the toppest award for movies in U.K. It is cited as a British equivalent to the Oscars.

London, Feb 6 (PTI) Indian music maestro A R Rahman, who has bagged three Academy Award nominations in two categories for his compositions in 'Slumdog Millionaire', believes he will win at least one Oscar with "God's blessings".
"I hope, we get at least one (Oscar). I cannot wait for the announcement," Rahman was today quoted in The Daily Telegraph as saying.

Only two Indians have ever won an Oscar -- costume designer Bhanu Athaiya for Gandhi (1982) and renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray who received a lifetime achievement award in 1992.

However, with three Academy Award nominations this year for Slumdog Millionaire - one for overall score and for two songs - the Chennai-based composer looks likely to be the third, the report said.

He is also up for the Best Music award at Sunday night's Baftas.

"We've been waiting for this for 80 years," said Rahman.

"I believe that whatever comes at a particular time is a blessing from God," he said.

While Rahman first came to the attention of Western audiences with his film music for Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and stage shows Bombay Dreams and The Lord of the Rings, his already stellar profile will go into overdrive should be win the Oscar on Feb 22. PTI

Mumbai, Feb 02: After bagging the ‘Golden Globe’ honour and enlisting himself for the biggest international recognition - the Oscars, AR Rahman was honoured with the ‘Global Indian Award’ by a news channel.