A R Rahman The Legend

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Seven months after the UPA cruised to a comfortable majority in the 15th Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accepted that he had never anticipated the victory.

“I was doubtful whether we will have a working majority,” Singh said. But he said he took the victory in his stride: “I have taken things when they happen and when they don’t in my stride. I am neither too pleased with success nor too despondent when success is not there.”

The PM was speaking at the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year 2009 Awards, held in partnership with Hindustan Times.

A.R Rahman, the nominee from the entertainment category, won the award.

Obliquely approving of India’s announcements that it will voluntarily cut its carbon intensity (emissions per unit of GDP) the PM made a plea for sustainable development.

“Humanity’s approach to climate change has to be need-based, not greed-based, as Gandhiji taught us,” he said, referring to the Copenhagen summit. “So I sometimes reflect on whether we should follow the same unsustainable path the industrialized countries took to develop and modernize their societies? Ecological disaster of whatever cause or origin will have far greater consequences in India than in the west. We should… have an informed and rational debate on what is in our enlightened self-interest.”

Singh said 2009 had been a good year for India.

“2009 was a remarkable year for us. The rest of the world was in recession. We are affected, but still the second fastest growing economy,” he said.

He added that the world today relished India as a living model of a purposeful market economy with the rule of law.

Asked if it was good for the country that an economist was heading it in difficult times, Singh said jokingly: “Yes.” As if to emphasise the point that India’s global stature was on the rise, Singh said while congratulating the Indian of the Year 2009 winner Allah Rakha Rahman: “When I heard him sing in the White House, you cannot imagine my sense of joy.”

Couples Retreat is a 2009 comedy film directed by Peter Billingsley and written by Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and Dana Fox. Vaughn and Favreau star with Faizon Love, Jason Bateman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman and Jean Reno. The film is rated PG-13 for sexual content and language. It was released on October 9, 2009.A R Rahman Our music legend had done the background score and the songs in Indian Style. Hear it by downloading from here.

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If things would have gone as planned by the makers of ADA...A WAY OF LIFE, the film would have released in the middle of last year itself. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, the film continued to be delayed and is now hitting the screens on 18th December.

One wonders how frustrating it was for the film's debut leading man Ayaan Ahmad who had to wait for such a long period of time?

"Well, it's indeed a feeling of mixed reaction. I am glad though that finally our effort would be out there for people to see. However, there is a nervous thing to it. The movie did get a little delayed and something like that is never welcome", says Ayaan who is paired opposite Nauheed Cyrusi (last seen in KURBAAN) in the film.

When quizzed about the reason for delay, Ayaan divulges, "We were waiting for A.R. Rahman to do the background score of the film. He was quite caught up with SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE and quite a few other events pre and post Oscars. In fact he was gracious enough to allow a different composer coming in but my dad (Tanvir Ahmad) who has directed the movie wanted him only to do it."

Why did they choose this route when it was resulting in so much delay? After all the soundtrack had already hit the stands and completion of background score by another composer could have finished the job sooner.

"See, ADA is a musical journey and we didn't want to compromise by any means", clarifies Ayaan, "According to me as well as others who have heard Rahman's background score, it is one of his best works ever. After such a long wait when I hear the score today, all my frustration goes away.

Academy Award-winning composer A.R. Rahman makes his first foray into composing music for an American comedy feature with Universal Pictures’ forthcoming romantic comedy, Couples’ Retreat. The soundtrack will be released by Saregama India Limited digitally and in all retail outlets nationwide on November 30.
The music has sounds of a tropical island fusing with “the laidback rhythms of island music” according to the press release. Rahman has created a score that goes with the film’s light-hearted tone blended with his signature “Indian” sound. “There are so many musical avenues to be explored,” says Rahman. “I’ve wanted to try new things for a long time and had hoped to have the opportunity to venture into American comedy. This film presented a lot of creative challenges and was deeply rewarding for me as composer.”

Couples’ Retreat is directed by Peter Billingsley and stars Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love.Based on an original idea by Vaughn, the comedy has four mid-Western couples, visiting a tropical island resort, one to work on their marriage, and the other three to enjoy. What follows is a hilarious look at the problems faced by all couples.

AR Rahman is scaling one milestone after another. The 'Mozart of Madras' performed at the White House in front of President Barack Obama and Indian PM Manmohan Singh to mark the latter's three-day visit to the US.

The US president Barack Obama hosted a state dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the South Lawn in the White House. The first ever after the Obama was sworn in as the President.

The 338-long list of celebrities was from various fields like entertainers, business moguls, noted politicians and friends of the President graced the event.

The first lady Michelle Obama was seen in a strapless gold dress and overlaid with silver work and a matching shawl.

The Indian cooking was personally overlooked by the first lady and consisted mostly of vegetarian dishes as Manmohan Singh is a vegetarian. The food was prepared by the chief Chef Williams.

The scheme for the dinner was green and purple, to symbolize peacock the national bird of India.

A huge tent was construction for this purpose at the South Lawn with magnificent views of the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial which held chandeliers and beige carpets on the floor.

The President welcomed the Prime minister in Hindi (Aapka Suwagat Hai meaning You are welcome).

Some of the celebrity guests where Stephen Spielberg, Governor Bobby Jindal, Mukesh Ambani, Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates, New York Mayor, actress Jennifer Hudson, Deepak Chopra, S S Sathwal, Sanjay Gupta, Amirtya Sen, Indrya Nooyi and not to forget our very own Oscar winning music composer A R Rahman. The highlight of the evening was the music by the Mozart of Madras.

It is worth a mention here that Manmohan Singh was invited for the state dinner for the second time, the first one during the Bush regime.

He sang two tracks -- Jai Ho and Dreams on Fire -- from his Oscar-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire.

As part of an initiative by the government authorities, Rahman performed with Indian and western artistes to welcome Singh in the US.

A source said, "It was an electrifying performance celebrating brotherhood between India and the US. Rahman set the mood for Manmohan Singh's three-day visit to the US. High level government officials of both countries witnessed this performance."

Rahman has a great fan following in the US. "He was the best person to have during this crucial meeting of the two country's heads. There were bhangra performers too at the event. Rahman also teamed up with musician Taku Hirano with whom he had performed at Time magazine's gala event that had crowned the 100 Most Influential people of the world in New York City."