Rahman shows the Tamil way to Hollywood

If the entire globe is looking out for his musical score, the western world expects a lot more from him after the success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Our Oscar Nayagan has given a romantic Tamil song that goes like “Kuru Kuru Kangaliley Ennai Aval Vendraley” for his Hollywood project ‘Couples Retreat’.

The man, who made Indians proud by his Oscar, has now made Tamils proud by inserting a Tamil song for a Hollywood project. Enjoy the sound track of the film and experience listening to a Tamil song with Hollywood’s sound quality. It’s sure to win peoples’ heart across the globe with its freshness…

Rahman strongly admits, “Though it’s a Hollywood movie, it will carry the Indianized touch in it”. For that reason, not just this song, but the entire album will have the desi touch.

So the world can get ready for many more ‘Roja’ and ‘Uyire’.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Roja was my benchmark, says A R Rahman

A meeting between two musical geniuses was in the making but fate cancelled it. Composer A R Rahman, two days before he won two Oscars forSlumdog Millionaire, had received an e-mail invitation from late pop singer Michael Jackson to discuss projects. Rahman talks about Jackson, spirituality and the film that set off his career with CNN-IBN’s Rajeev Masand on To Catch A Star.

Rajeev Masand: May I start by asking you, at an average, how much time do you get to sleep these days? I know that you are committed to doing a lot of work both in India and in America, do you have enough time to really rest?

A R Rahman: I need to sleep, otherwise I fall ill the next day, at least six to seven hours, but sometimes it's in installments.

Rajeev Masand:When you keep the Oscars at home, does everyone want to look at it, touch it?

A R Rahman: I have not seen it for ages. I don't know where it is. It's somewhere in the building I guess.

Rajeev Masand: You have always said that healthy arguments with your directors and lyricists often result in the creation of some very good music. I am guessing after the Oscars no one really wants to argue with you anymore, no one really disputes your suggestions anymore.

A R Rahman: I don't know if it works that way. Because in the interest of any big films, there's always an argument and a vision which is most the director's and if you are sensible you have to go through with that vision. You can't say, "I have written a beautiful song, fitted in the movie, I don't care."

Rajeev Masand: There is a popular perception even amongst your greatest fans that Jai Ho and the music of Slumdog Millionaire isn't necessarily your best music.

A R Rahman: They are not giving me the Oscar for my life, they are giving it for the film and that particular moment the film came in and how different the music and the whole theme was for the film. I am really proud about Slumdog Millionaire’s music andJai Ho

Rajeev Masand: You have always said that you wouldn't like your commitments here in India to be affected by the work that you want to do outside. And yet the first casualty of success turned out to be Rajiv Menon's film Dhun, he is an old friend of yours, but you are unable to do his film?

A R Rahman: It's a bullet which I have to take and had to give him also. His film is very musically demanding and it requires 24 x 7 attention. I can't give a tune through Internet for that film and I didn't want to stop his film in anyway by delaying. I think he is a great filmmaker. He is like a mini Raj Kumar for me. I am sure he is going to come up with really great film and music.

Rajeev Masand: Did you break his heart?

A R Rahman: I don't know. But I needed to take a stand somewhere, I needed to make a choice of not annoying people. But of course there is always a next time and better things are going to happen.

Rajeev Masand: I am sure that you had chance to look at your biography that was published recently?

A R Rahman: I didn't see much of it because but I have heard of different comments passed by people, good and bad about it.

Rajeev Masand: I think your fans are quite eager to know your reaction to the book especially it was fairly critical of you as well. It did speak about you having abandoned your family after you converted to Islam, it spoke about you having abandoned old band mates?

A R Rahman: I wouldn't say that is true because once I seriously started getting into music, I became spiritual, I wouldn't visit my own sister (laughs) and sometimes music needs that. You can't be everything. And a particular time in life comes in when you can compensate.

Like Gandhi, (I am not comparing myself with Gandhi), but for Gandhi the nation was important, for me the music is important.

Rajeev Masand: The book says you abandoned your band mates, the moment Mani Ratnam signed you for Roja There is a critical view of you. It even talks about references to black magic and voodoo. Did you fee betrayed by this book?

A R Rahman: No, I don't want to hide any of my past. There was an incidence in my family about my father. Lot of people believed that he was killed in black magic. So when you are a child you tend to believe everything. And then my overwhelming spiritual thirst made me vanish all the stuff and now I am clean. I am following the Sufi path and I don't care about anything. About the band, it was supposed to be a temporary band.

There was never a thing like I would have to leave my life to come and play in the band. It was a fun thing. We did one number for an album and I became busy in Roja and my band mates were impatient because they wanted to finish the album. So I said if you are impatient please go ahead because I had taken up something, which doesn't come to every individual. I had the best film director asking me for music. I wanted to give my hundred per cent to the film. However, all of them are living their successful lives today.

Rajeev Masand: The acclaimed playback singer S P Balasubramaniam has a complaint. He says that Rahman has very little regard for language and pronunciation. He is happy to use singers from the North to sing Tamil songs, as long as the tune is fine, he doesn't mind very much the words and language or the accent is mutilated often.

A R Rahman: Not every time. Sometimes it’s good to have something funky. Not for the shake of hurting anything but for entertainment sake but that shouldn't become a habit.

Rajeev Masand: Your music for the film Blue is your first album right after the Oscars.

A R Rahman: It's probably the first time I am doing a film like this which is an entertainer and which is about underwater, so the music naturally became fast and beat oriented but we have tried maintain a balance between making sense of melody speed.

Rajeev Masand: You recorded a track with Kylie Minogue for this film.

A R Rahman: It was the wholesome effect of Kylie Minogue they wanted to have in the film. They wanted her to dance and feature in the film in a small part. And she also wanted that to happen for a long time. So she found it a great opportunity. And strangely, she gave me the BAFTA Awards, and next day we recorded the song.

Rajeev Masand: Are you a fan of her music?

A R Rahman: I do like stuff of hers, she is a really lovely person.

Rajeev Masand: It's popularly and very justifiably believed that some of your best work is with Mani Ratnam. You started with him with Roja and Raavan is your eleventh collaboration with him?

A R Rahman: I think so.

Rajeev Masand: What can we expect?

A R Rahman: I am looking forward to this movie because it is turning out to be a very interesting movie.

Rajeev Masand: Your son recently sang for the film Kapil's Retreat, the American film, which you have composed the score for. He has also sung before for Bose, The Forgotten Hero

A R Rahman: No not for Bose

Rajeev Masand: Which was then?

A R Rahman: It was an animation film, which is still a work in progress and the other song is also work in progress. He (son) is getting musical slowly. I just played him the track and he started singing something, which I recorded and happen to use it. In just a very small portion of the song.

Rajeev Masand: Your daughter has sung for Mangal Pandey as well. What's it like working with your kids?

A R Rahman: They have to be programmed in a way, they have to be told what to do and what not to do.

Rajeev Masand: Your music for Delhi 6 is probably your best since Rang De Basanti. What's your favourite song on that sound track?

A R Rahman: Most of them, Rahena Tu, Maula.

Rajeev Masand: Danny Boyle has bought the rights to Suketa Mehta's book Maximum City. Are you committed to scoring that?

A R Rahman: I spoke to Danny but I didn't hear anything about this. But definitely, it's going to be a very interesting film I guess.

Rajeev Masand: You met Michael Jackson shortly after the Oscars. Tell us about that meeting. He has been your influence in your growing years.

A R Rahman: I was supposed to meet Michael in 1999 but because of his mishap in a concert, I couldn't meet him. After nine years, when I went to Los Angeles, my agent said, “I am gonna meet Michael Jackson's manager”. So I just told him, "can I meet him." He said he would email and see if Michael wanted to meet me. So three or four days before the Oscars, we got an email saying Michael Jackson wanted to meet me. So I went to meet him after winning the Oscars. I thought the meeting would be five minutes but it lasted for two hours.

We talked about my music and how I had written them and that how India adored Michael Jackson. Then he called me saying why don't you do something like We Are The World and you conduct the whole thing. I was shocked. Before getting into that he started going to rehearsals for the This Is It concert and the next thing you hear that he is dead. It was a real shocker.

Rajeev Masand: In your first film album Roja was declared by Time magazine as one of the best film soundtracks of all time, how different is the experience of making music now. Has the process changed very much now?

A R Rahman: Roja was my benchmark. I told Mani Ratnam that this was what I wanted to achieve. He helped me do that in a way, patiently waiting and giving productive inputs. So that continues even now. Today, it's easier to put across my musical vision to musicians because they have heard my music. It was difficult to do that in the initial years. People are more thoughtful that ways. They are doing well.

Rajeev Masand: Thank you so much for doing us proud and speaking to us.

Courtesy: ibnlive.in.com

Rahman becomes Oscar juror

Seven months after winning two Oscar titles, A R Rahman will take on a new role as a voting member for the Academy Awards — from next year. The music composer is one of the 134 artistes to have received an invitation to join the Oscar roster of voting members for 2009.

Rahman has received an invite from the Board of Governors, considering his contribution to music — in recognition of his score in the films Slumdog Millionaire and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

The 43-year-old ‘Mozart of Madras’ was unavailable for comment, but sources close to him confirmed that Rahman would join the 6000-plus voters of the elite list for the Oscars from next year. With this, Rahman will be in the company of Will Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Jack Nicholson and Mira Nair to choose the winners of the most famous international awards.

Membership for the academy voters roster is limited, and open only by invitation. Those who have been nominated for the Oscars are eligible to be on the voters list. Joining Rahman this year are Casey Affleck, Hugh Jackson, apart from Peter Gabriel, who was Rahman’s contender in the Best Original Song category.

Rahman, who won an Oscar each for Best Musical Score and Best Song this year for Slumdog Millionaire, has now signed on a complete Hollywood project, Couples Retreat, apart from working on an international short film with Shekar Kapur, A Night of Passage. He is said to be eyeing more Hollywood projects.

Courtesy:expressbuzz.com

Rahman brings in Indianess without Indian sounds

Oscar winner AR Rahman is busy scoring the music for the Hollywood comedy Couple’s Retreat starring Jason Bateman, Vince Vaughn, Malin Akerman and Kristen Bell. Speaking about this film, Rahman said that he would not use Indian sounds but would bring in the feel of Indianess in the album.

Rahman said in a recent interview, “I’ve reached a stage where I've to do new things. There are so many avenues to be explored. So Couples Retreat will be their kind of music with my touch, done in my way.”

The musician is also keen that there should be no traces of Slumdog Millionaire. According to sources close to Rahman, the musician feels that his best is yet to come.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Kylie Minogue Goes Bollywood With "Chiggy Wiggy"

Early this year the Bollywood musical style rolled into the pop charts when the Pussycat Dolls collaborated with A.R. Rahman on a version of the Academy Award winning song "Jai Ho!" from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. Now one of the world's biggest pop stars, Kylie Minogue, is collaborating with producer A.R. Rahman and singer Sonu Nigam on her own venture into Bollywood music making. Kylie Minogue is credited with worldwide album sales in excess of 60 million as well as seven #1 singles in the UK, two top ten singles in the US and a Grammy Award. The song "Chiggy Wiggy" will be included on the soundtrack for the upcoming film Blue which is due in theaters in October 2009. Check out the video below with one of the film's stars Akshay Kumar. 

Courtesy: about.com

All well between Ashutosh & Rahman

A. R. Rahman is a musician with whom every filmmaker wants to work over and over again.

So, when Ashutosh Gowariker decided to break away from the collaboration after successes like Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar, speculations were rife that the two had fallen apart.

However, Ashutosh clarifies that they are still good friends.

"Why I could not work with Rahman for What's Your Rashee? was because I wanted to finish this film quickly. But he was already booked for months for films like Slumdog Millionaire and Delhi 6 then. I would have required a lot of time considering I needed 13 songs for the film. So we decided that we shall skip it this time," he says.

"But I think I have got great music from Sohail (Sen) in this film as well. His father had introduced me to him and asked if I would like to listen to his son. And I was very impressed with his capability," adds the director.


Courtesy: indiatoday.intoday.in

Rahman's great day in Greece

Oscar award winner and ace music composer A R Rahman had a special meeting with Vangelis, a world renowned music wizard in Greece on Tuesday.

According to sources, Vangelis had personally invited Rahman to his place and met him. He is best known for his Academy Award-winning score for the film Chariots of Fire, and scores for the films like Blade Runner and 1492: Conquest of Paradise.

During the meeting Vangelis admitted that he was a great fan of Rahman and liked his score in Slumdog Millionaire.

In a career spanning 47 years, writing and composing more than 40 albums, Vangelis is generally regarded by music critics as one of the greatest composers of electronic music of all time.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Slumdog star Dev Patel in Hindi Nadodigal

With Nadodigal being declared a smash hit, the director is now busy working on its Telugu, Kannada and Hindi remake. The Telugu version is expected to commence sooner than the Hindi version and the director had signed up Ravi Teja to play the lead role. Talks are on with several leading Tollywood stars to play the important roles in the film. The Kannada remake is due to commence later this year with Puneet playing the hero.

The latest we hear is that Samuthrakani is holding a discussion with the Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel to play the lead role.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rahman, Danny Boyle invited to become Oscar voters

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited India's music maestro A.R. Rahman and four other Oscar winners associated with the Academy award sweeper "Slumdog Millionaire" to join its roster of voting members.

Rahman has been invited for his music in "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age", while the film's British Director Danny Boyle is also cited for "Sunshine".

Besides "Slumdog Millionaire", producer Christian Colson has been cited for "The Descent", cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle for "The Last King of Scotland" and film editor Chris Dickens chosen for "Shaun of the Dead".

They are among 134 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2009 to the Academy's roster of voting members.

"These filmmakers have, over the course of their careers, captured the imagination of audiences around the world," said Academy President Sid Ganis in an announcement from Beverly Hills, California.

"It's this kind of talent and creativity that make up the Academy, and I welcome each of them to our ranks."

The Academy's membership would have allowed a maximum of 166 new members in 2009, but as in the previous years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them.

Voting membership in the organisation has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since 2003.

New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Academy's Fairbanks Centre for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.

Courtesy: hindu.com

A.R. Rahman inks with UMPG

A.R. Rahman, the singer-composer who walked away with two Oscars for his song and score work in "Slumdog Millionaire," has inked an exclusive, worldwide publishing pact, excluding India, with Universal Music Publishing Group.

The deal with Rahman -- whose Indian credits exceed 100 films and whose pic scores and soundtracks have sold more than 100 millions units worldwide -- includes large portions of his catalog as well as new music. Rights to the "Slumdog" music will be included in the UMPG deal.

"That fact that he is a two-time Oscar winner has really elevated his visibility and notoriety globally," David Renzer, chairman and CEO of UMPG, told Daily Variety.

The Rahman deal, Renzer said, fits the company's strategy of film and television music being "one of the key areas that we are focused on."

Rahman, who previously did not have an overall publishing deal, is finishing the music for Universal's "Couples Retreat," starring Vince Vaughn, and will soon be going into the studio with producer Jimmy Iovine, chairman of UMG label Interscope Geffen A&M Records, to create the music for an album featuring guest vocalists.

When Rahman rubbed shoulders with Michelle Obama

Being voted one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine has seen his popularity soar. Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman not only got an opportunity to share the same platform with US First Lady Michelle Obama, he also had the whole audience in New York chanting “Jai ho”.

“At the function I was on the same table as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and the CEO of Time magazine. When I went up to the stage, a chant of ‘Jai ho’ (the Oscar-winning song from ‘Slumdog Millionaire’) went up in the house.”

The music maestro, who won two golden statuettes for his compositions in British filmmaker Danny Boyle’s underdog drama, says the awards have had a huge impact on his life.

“The impact of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ has been tremendous. The western perception of Third World countries has changed. Earlier when some of the most talented musicians of Asia would approach western companies, they’d encounter stumbling blocks. Today that has changed. The west is ready to listen to us,” Rahman told IANS in an interview.

Rahman admits that dealing with the huge amount of attention after the Oscars has been unnerving.

“Yes, the Oscar changed my life. I can’t even attend places of prayer without being recognised. Even when I’m at malls in the US, kids freeze in recognition when they see me. I need to concentrate on my music. I’m not the kind of guy who can pull himself away from my music, attend functions, give interviews and get back to what I’m supposed to do. It’s like entering and leaving new cities,” he said.

Ever since the Oscar happened, the music maestro has been doing extensive travelling.

“It’s been a full roller-coaster ride for me in the past week… from New York to Dubai to Calicut, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai… every day I’ve been in two cities. Can’t be helped. Everywhere they want to felicitate me and I can’t say no. How can I? Everyone was excited about my Oscar and wanted to share their excitement with me,” said Rahman, who will be conferred an honorary doctorate by the Aligarh Muslim University June 7.

He admits he is not able to spend time with his children.

“Luckily all three of my children are into music. So my kids and I are on the same wave-length. My wife dreamt of walking the red carpet with me to the Oscars. She can now dream of walking to the Oscars with our children,” said the 43-year-old.

“I’m slowly getting back to normal now,” said Rahman, now blocking away the Oscar euphoria to focus on his current work.

His forthcoming films are “Blue”, “London Dreams” and S. Shankar’s Tamil film “Endhiran”, which has Aishwarya Rai and Rajnikant in lead roles.

AR Rahman slams the writer of his unauthorised biography

Success comes at a price and it seems, to have cost AR Rahman his much-treasured privacy. The Mozart of Madras, who has the world grooving to his winning anthem ‘Jai Ho’ from Oscar favourite ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, is a peeved man these days and it’s all owing to the unending media glare and notorious individuals trying to cash on the reticent musicians’ success.

After several political parties used or rather abused his creation ‘Jai ho’ for their own political vendetta, it’s the musician’s much anticipated ‘authorised biography’ that is giving him sleepless nights.
The book titled ‘AR Rahman: The Musical Storm’ had been widely publicised as the singer’s biography and has made numerous headlines for being the singer’s only biography till date. But according to Rahman, the so-called ‘authorised biography’ is completely unauthorised as the writer Kamini Mathai has not received his consent.
Speaking to media a visibly piqued Rahman said, “The claim that it’s an authorised biography is wrong."
The singer is reportedly not amused by this cheap stunt used by the involved individuals to capitalise on his success.
A news daily even quoted a source as saying, “Though Rahman is oblivious to the outside world and doesn’t understand the commercial aspects of his superstardom, he isn’t oblivious to the ‘Cash in on Rahman’ factory that flourishes far and wide.”
And for a maestro, who is known for his originality, Rahman will be writing his own biography thereby, giving a first hand account of his life.
Now, that’s a read we are all looking forward too.

Courtesy: zeenews.com

A.R. Rahman’s vacation

The double Oscar winner A.R. Rahman is on a vacation cum business trip to the UK and the US. Apparently, the Mozart of Madras is accompanied by his wife. Sources have it that his schedule is packed with several meetings with film makers andbusiness acquaintances. Rahman’s new agent in the US, through whom he had bagged an international offer, is also making arrangements for the Oscar winner to meet some of the well known film makers. With this we can expect Rahman to return home with several big international offers.

In the home front, Rahman has five major films to which he is already committed including Mani Rathnam’s Ravan and Rajini-starrer, Shankar-directed Endhiran.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Chinese go gaga over AR Rahman's Jai Ho

Slumdog Millionaire, which has won as much as eight Oscar Awards this year, has the communist nation China going gaga over it. The song, Jai Ho, set to tune by A.R. Rahman has become a huge hit in China. Though the audiences are not able to grasp the meaning of the lyrics they simply love the tune and are heard humming it. The audiences are also amazed that a show like Kaun Banega Crorepati was hosted in India,

especially with such a huge amount involved. It is worth mentioning here that Slumdog Millionaire was dubbed in Chinese to attract the audience.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Rahman global tour starts with ‘Jaye Ho’!

A.R. Rahman is gearing up for his first live performance after the double Oscar victory. He will perform on May 3rd at the Corporation Stadium, Kozhikode in Kerala. The show will be the first of a series of live performances across the globe which will help the Global Kerala Initiative-Keraleeyam raise awareness about HIV and help in the rehabilitation of HIV infected orphaned children. The concert has been named ‘Jaye Ho’ quite

appropriately after the song that brought home the Oscars. Other details about the show and its performers have not yet been revealed.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

'Slumdog' dance an online craze

The stunning success of the "Slumdog Millionaire" movie continues to echo across the Internet by spawning a dance craze that has millions downloading various versions of that high-energy "Jai Ho (You are My Destiny)" dance that ends the film.
More than 60 videos are on You Tube alone, some from the movie but most home made by fans who are posting their own versions.
The best quality one is this remix from the film:

Next to the film version, the slickest version of the dance was the one performed by some professionals on Jay Leno's show as Oscar winner composer A.R. Rahman performed the song. Here it is:

Ellen Degeneres had the Slumdog cast on her TV show and she got them to demo it and teach the whole audience how:

Here's a beginner-level line dance walk through:

A half-dozen people have their kids doing Jai Ho dances. I'll spare you the invariably poor results.
Same with a long list of videos of couples and individuals who mistakenly think they have rhythm.
A bunch of kids in a church confirmation class from England did a version.

You get the idea. The dance is huge and getting even bigger because of Internet video sharing

Courtesy: freep.com