Hollywood's calling A.R. Rahman

Hollywood is finally getting to know A.R. Rahman, the short, humble and deeply religious man who took two Oscars home to southern India for his work on "Slumdog Millionaire."
In the eight months since Slumdog's surprise Oscar sweep, Rahman has survived the rage of felicitation that hit him when he returned to India - even the prime minister offered his congratulations - and embarked on countless lunches with studio executives in L.A. eager to match him with that perfect new film.

In between, he's managed to score two movies, hatched plans with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics to start a band, and is putting together a new solo album.
The Oscars, Rahman said, "got me an identity in the West."
"There won't be any doubts looking at me: Who are you? What are you doing here?" he said by phone from Medina, Saudi Arabia. "I don't have to prove again I can do this and that, and rather can just be cool about my musical statement."
His latest composition is for "Couple's Retreat," a yoga-inflected romantic comedy written, produced by and starring Vince Vaughn, released Friday by Universal Studios.

He spent nearly three months working on "Couple's Retreat," first in London and then in L.A.
"L.A. helped me hide," Rahman said. "I can walk on the streets, which I can't do in India. I can go to a coffee shop and sit there. I have so much freedom, whereas in India I get mobbed."
In India, Rahman enjoys a fanatical pop-star fame that stretches from barefoot slum kids playing cricket to the richest matrons of Mumbai. He has won 18 Filmfare Awards, three MTV Awards, and six Tamil Nadu State Awards, among others. In 2000, he was conferred the highest civilian honor in India, the Padma Shri, for his contributions to the film industry.
But that somehow didn't translate. "Slumdog" did.
Now, Rahman said, he's not just getting work from Hollywood, he's getting good work - projects for which he can set his own artistic terms.
"Since the Oscars and all the appreciation, people come for what I am," he said.
The new album - for Interscope Records, which produced the blockbuster soundtrack to "Slumdog" - is still in its early stages, but Rahman said he hopes to bring together experienced artists like Lady GaGa and M.I.A. with "some really new talents."
"After 'Jai Ho' became number one in 17 countries, they were very excited and said, 'Why don't you do a whole album?'" Rahman said.
He keeps working on his pet project: A classical conservatory he opened two years ago in his hometown of Chennai, in southern India. About 130 students are learning the vanishing arts of the viola, violin and acoustic piano. Rahman said he's also teaching them Indian classical music and electronic composition - the same motley but fortuitous set of skills that holds together his own career.
The "Couple's Retreat" soundtrack veers from the South Indian Carnatic harmonies of "Undressing" to the hip-hop inflected "NaNa." Shyam Benegal, an award-winning Indian director - he also got the Padma Shri - who hired Rahman to make music for two of his films, says Rahman has created "a musical bridge."
"He has bridged the musical distance between the way the Western ear responds and the way the Indian ear responds," he said. "It's very difficult to say how."
The foundations of that bridge were laid when Rahman was a child. After his composer father died, Rahman took up playing the keyboard for movies in south India's burgeoning Tamil-language film industry. He was just 12.
"I had to work because we had the keyboards," he said. "My mother said, 'Why don't you learn them? It's such an advantage for you to have them.'"
"I was almost the breadwinner of the family," he added.
After studying under several masters of classical Indian music, he won a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music in London and took a degree in Western classical music. His break in India came when he was 23 and noted director Mani Ratnam asked him to score his film "Roja."
Since then he's worked on over 100 movies in India.
"His fees have gone up a lot," said director Benegal. "He may be the most expensive composer in India today working on films. That he is. But what he gives to you, even in financial terms, the recovery is almost instantaneous."
Still, Hollywood's remunerative embrace could price India's favorite son out of his home market.
"If he charged me Hollywood rates," Benegal said, "I wouldn't be able to pay."





Courtesy: forbes.com

Rajini’s new villain

Bollywood actor Rahul Dev seems to have established himself as the most sought after bad guy in south. With the dearth of villains, his arrival has given movie makers a new lease of life.

The actor has given some great performances in movies like 'Athadu', 'Krishna' and others.

Now sources claim that he will be against none other than the superstar Rajinikanth. However that would be in the animated film 'Sultan – The Warrior'.

This movie is being made by Rajini’s daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth and there are already very high expectations.

Meanwhile sources also claim that he would be the villain in yet another Suriya starrer.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Here’s A.R. Rahman Unplugged

You will be performing in Calcutta after more than six-and-a-half years. Has the Rahman sound changed in this period?

I have never changed my sound intentionally. Most of my soundtracks reflect what film I am doing. It’s only that. It’s never like I want to beat this sound or I want to do something better. But I do change myself. I do not want to do the same thing. I want to keep my job interesting to me.

There have been reports that you have been hiding in Los Angeles…

The three months immediately after the Oscars were hard to handle. Everyone wanted to felicitate me and have me over at social functions and congratulate me in ceremonies. I went to Los Angeles and went back to my music. Now, life is back to normal.

Mani Ratnam with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the Calcutta sets of Raavan. A Telegraph picture

Why did you choose the Vince Vaughn rom comCouples Retreat as your first Hollywood project afterSlumdog Millionaire?

I got that offer before I got all the awards for Slumdog Millionaire. Vince Vaughn came to me much before the Oscars. He just saw the movie and he became very emotional and he said: “I want your music for my next film!” I was contemplating whether to accept the movie or not. Then after the Oscars, I went and saw the movie. I felt that it wasn’t a musically sympathetic movie but it was a comedy. And nobody would ever think that a person who did Slumdog would do a comedy next. And I just wanted to experience the whole process of Hollywood. It was a great experience.

Vince Vaughn and Malin Akerman in Couples Retreat: “Vince became very emotional and he said: ‘I want your music for my next film!’”

What makes it a great experience?

You know just the opportunity to go and work in studios where Mary Poppins and Star Wars were recorded, it’s a great feeling. Also, it was fun working with Vince and with the director of Couples Retreat, Peter (Billingsley). He’s a new guy and it was good.

But Couples Retreat the film has been very poorly received there and the reviews say your music has been under-utilised…

It is a comedy… it’s not a film where there were extraordinary musical situations. It’s also a complicated movie about four couples, who all have resolutions. And some of the score, which is significant in the film, is licensed stuff… like Ennio Morricone’s The Good, The Bad and The Ugly…. I know that this would happen but I had the opportunity of doing a great CD. And the CD is being liked by everyone.

Of the work that has been offered to you in the West, are they all asking for aSlumdog-like score from you?

No. Because they would never want to repeat the same thing. I am in a very extra-ordinary situation where I can do songs and I can do background scores. I have not been typecast… like “He’s a background score guy” or “He can only compose songs”. So, I have been trying to expand on that. Even in Couples, I have done three songs and then I have also done the background.

Dave Stewart: “He is a dear friend... we are trying to put up a band together.”

Do you have a wishlist of producers or directors you want to work with?

No, I don’t want to have a wishlist. Because some things look very small in the beginning and they become bigger in the end. Like Slumdog. And some things look very big at the beginning and end up really small. So I don’t have any wishlist.

Was Slumdog ever small?

Honestly, I would have never sent the score to the Oscars. The makers did. I composed the soundtrack in three weeks flat and didn’t think that it would go on to do what it did.

Do you think it was all because of that one song, Jai ho?

When I saw the film, they had put another song (Shankar Ehsaan Loy’s Aaj ki raat fromDon) and all that dancing was part of the film. At that time, it looked like a mockery of our song and dance. But when they used it in the end credits with Jai ho, it looked really nice. See, Jai ho became Jai ho because it was apt for the film, not because it was a great song. It was the right song and that’s why it worked out so well.

Kylie Minogue: “She was very fast... it was all finished in three hours!”

So, you haven’t given any brief to your Hollywood agent?

He is always surprised by my decisions. He said: “It’s (Couples) a comedy! Don’t do a comedy!” I said, why not? So, it goes like that.

How do you plan to balance your work here with your work there?

It’s difficult choosing. I want to keep that little chain of interest of people wanting to hear my music. I don’t want to overdo that. Also, I don’t want to underplay that. So there will be Tamil films, Telugu films, Hindi films and there will be English films too. I want to choose the best projects that complement my music.

Now when you compose for Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, is it like a return to roots because you started with his Roja?

It is, in a way. Also, Mani always surprises me. I think that now I know Mani Ratnam. But he surprises me. He keeps pushing me to a place where I am challenged and that’s a great creative spirit. And that’s what I need to keep going, rather than taking each other for granted. There’s something we always want to achieve as a team.

What motivated you to sign this Friday’s big release Blue?

I signed it before the Oscars. New people are really unpredictable. (Blue is directed by debutant Anthony D’Souza.) You never know. Sometimes they are great and sometimes they let you down. Blue also had a big production house like Ashtavinayak supporting the film. Then when I saw the visuals, it seemed like something genuinely interesting, something passionate.

What about the Kylie Minogue experience?

It was all finished in three hours (laughs). She was very fast. Actually it was also one week before the BAFTAs and I also had to finish recording the song.

Why didn’t Farhan Akhtar sing for the Blue soundtrack, as you had wanted?

The song changed from what we wanted to make it. And he wasn’t very sure that the song went with his style of singing and whether he would be able to pull it off. Whether it would be right for him. So I said, okay, we will work on something else later. The song was Fiqrana, actually. And I was happy that Vijay Prakash got a huge opportunity.

What are you planning with Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame?

We are planning a lot of things actually. He is a dear friend whom I know for more than eight years now. We are trying to put up a band together, like a super band. Also, he is doing a movie for Nokia and I am helping him out on Indianising it.

What about your own English album?

I am currently working on it. It will have a lot of pop musicians. I am not sure who at this stage. But it is definitely the project I am really looking forward to, after doing so many film soundtracks.

If a director from Bengal walks up to you with his script, would you do the music?

If it’s something special, I would love to do it. If I find it inspiring, I would do it. I have seen a lot of great work coming from here.

But will you charge him a bomb?

Charge is never a problem (smiles)!

Courtesy: telegraphindia.com

Rahman goes back to nursery

We know that Rahman has a plan to compose music for ‘Thamizhthai Vazhthu’, which will be written by Vairamuthu. But, now what we hear is a very cute and special album of the musician.

Yup, Rahman is scoring music for children and that too for nursery rhymes. Sources say that the Mozart of Madras is secretly working on the album for sometime now. It’s no rumour people! After working on patriotic albums, international projects and Hollywood ventures, Rahman is happily getting back to kindergarten.

Sources say that we will get to hear the popular nursery rhymes in the maestro’s tune. The music album will also have some compositions by some talented students of his institute, which is in Chennai.

And know who will be appearing in the screen and do lip-syncing to these rhymes? It’s our Indian Barbie girl- Katrina Kaif. Birdies say that the actress will be seen singing the rhymes with children in the album’s videos. Katrina, who has a special bonding with kids, will be doing at least three music videos and will interact with the children in the video.       

Wow… now this nursery rhymes will also be added to the best-sellers of the composer!

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

Director Soundarya Rajinikanth - Tamil Movie Directors Interview - Sultan The Warrior

The label of superstar’s daughter is inherited whereas the personality of a young film producer is an earned one. Soundarya Rajinikanth takes her first step as a producer through Goa. Over to Soundarya…

BW: Transition from running Ochre Studios to becoming a film producer? Soundarya Rajinikanth: Ochre Studios is like my baby that was started three and half years ago with just ten people. Today my team is 150 in number. We started with graphics work, digital editing, color grading, and animation work and have now moved to a higher level, i.e., film production. In film industry, production is one department which gives job opportunities for many. That’s why I decided to produce films. What kind of films would you like to produce? Our films would be fun-filled and rich in entertainment quotient. They also would be spoken for quality in content, technical excellence and good script. I am keen to introduce new actors, directors, cinematographers, makeup men and editors. Hence we are working on those lines. Ochre Studios will serve as an excellent platform for the generation next. " Ochre studios will serve as an excellent platform for the generation next " What is Ochre’s contribution to graphics department? We have done graphics work in many Tamil and Kannada films and

One more international award for Rahman

Just about three months short of a year after he was awarded the Oscar, A.R. Rahman has done India proud on the world stage once again. This time, it is by being chosen for the World Soundtrack Awards of 2009. Rahman won the award in the ‘Best Original Song Written for a Film’ category for the ‘Jai Ho’ song in Slumdog Millionaire. He was also nominated for the Best Original Film Score which was eventually won by two-time Oscar nominee Alexandre Desplat who also won the Film Composer of the Year award for his work in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ starring Brad Pitt.

The awards ceremony was held on Diwali day, October 17, the last day of the Ghent Film Festival, in the Belgian port town of Ghent. Three time Oscar winner Marvin Hamslich was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at the function.

Rahman couldn’t have given a better gift to all his fans of the festival of lights. All this, while the ‘Jai Ho’ concert is still fresh in our minds. We simply can’t wait for more. Congrats and thanks Rahman…..


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

BLUE MOVIE REVIEW

Review by : Harish V Starring: Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Lara Dutta, Rahul Dev, Zayed Khan. Direction: Anthony D'Souza Music: A R Rahman. Production: Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision Ltd. Blue, one of the most anticipated movies of the year has finally hit the screen. Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Zayed Khan and Katrina (spl Appearance) are all geared up to entertain you. But will they? Ashtavinayak after the Kidnap and Luck debacle was expected not to come out with another high budgeted action thriller but they ended up making the mother of all action movies in terms of budget. This stylish underwater thriller is made at a budget of 95 crores, the highest in Indian film industry till now. Will this high priced risk payoff? The movie is about a 60 year old treasure which has been lost in transit from Britain to India near the Bahamas. Aarav a rich businessman in Bahamas is always behind his friend Sagar who works for him about the treasure of the Lady in blue. Sagar has a secret and he is not ready to share it even with his wife Mona and his brother, Sam. But when Sam gets into trouble with a mafia gang and is being demanded a pay off of $50 million in two days, all hell breaks loose. Sagar now has to come out of his shackles

to save his brother. What's the secret? Can Sagar save Sam's life? Is Aarav the man who seems so perfect is actually perfect? Find the answers in a theatre near you. The first time director, Anthony D'Souza has come up with a nice concept and even though his amateurish direction comes to fore in many scenes, he does pull it off all together. Many underwater scenes with minimal to no dialogues have been taken brilliantly, and the work they have done in almost all the chase sequences, especially the bike sequence in Bahamas, is worth mentioning. The movie's climax is half baked. If only the climax is treated properly, the movie's impact would have been much better. Apart from that, there are few effects which confuse you and the abrupt song inclusion in the narrative doesn't help either. But this movie is not to put your brains to work but to give you a theatrical experience, which Indian action movies have yet to capitalize on. Technically the movie is brilliant with spectacular camera work by Laxman Utekar, especially the way the underwater sequences were shot. Never before seen stunts underwater is a joy for any action lover. Though Rahman fails to create his usual magic in the music, which still is hearable, he has taken the background score to the next level. Editing is done stylishly with fast cuts which make this 1 hour 54 minutes movie go rapidly. Special effects and visual effects are one of the highlights of the movie as it takes the graph of the movie to new heights. Akshay Kumar enjoys his work and his amazing screen presence scorches the screen. Sanjay Dutt is brilliant as usual but has minimal expression needed in his palette this time around. Lara Dutta oozes sensuality and her trimmed look goes well with the bikini. She has no scope of acting. Zayed Khan again overplays his role but fits the character. Katrina Kaif has little to do but does that with confidence and her outfits looks amazing too. Kiran Bedi has no-role to rave about. Overall a wondrous experience that has to be cherished. A roller-coaster ride which is sure to win big bucks at the box-office. Please catch this movie in the theaters which possesses high end sound quality and enjoy the marvel of motion pictures. Verdict: Cherish-able theatrical experience

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Silambarasan and Trisha celebrating Deepavali in NY

The Vinnaithandi Varuvaya team has flown down to New York to complete the last schedule of the shooting. While the director, Gautham Menon and crew flew a couple of days before, Silambarasan and Trisha took their flight on Thursday.

Completing VTV, Trisha will move on to the Bollywood flick Khatta Meeta directed by Priyadarshan and starring Akshay Kumar. There are reports that the lady has signed a three-film deal with Akshay Kumar’s production house Hari Om Productions. Silambarasan, on the other hand, says that his next venture will take off in May next year.

Both the stars are really upset that they would not be able to spend time with their friends and relatives this Deepavali.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Harris enjoys doing what Rahman is not keen on

Aadhavan is one of the frontrunners in the Deepavali race, and movie buffs are raring to see how the Suriya-KS Ravi Kumar combo would work out. Suriya has done some daredevil stunts in the film, which will be a treat for his fans to watch. However, the director is apprehensive that he could injure himself in the process and advised him to remain cautious in future.

The songs and music, on the other hand, have come out very well and have been topping the charts. Speaking about his experience with Harris Jayaraj to a national daily, director KS Ravi Kumar revealed that Harris just loves to compose duets, something that AR Rahman is not so keen on.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Blue to wash over overseas

Come Friday and the place will just be coloured Blue!  Releasing this 16th, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision Ltd’s ‘Blue’ is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. ‘Blue’ is tagged with a U/A certificate by the Censor Board. Directed by Anthony D’Souza, this under-water adventure-thriller includes Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan. One gets to enjoy a bonus with Katrina Kaif in a cameo role here. The music is already making waves, thanks to AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty, who handled the sound.

‘Blue’ is not only going to hit the nation but also the international screens. The movie will be screened across USA and Canada. Over the movie’s board, there is Hollywood cinematographer with Pete Zuccarini, who had worked on movies like ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘Deep Blue Sea’. And, not to forget, the special number by singer Kylie Minogue. So catch the ‘Blue’ fever this Friday folks!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

AR Rahman’s show in Kolkata

AR Rahman was recently in Kolkata to announce the concert that he would be staging there on November 14th. He also took time to be a part of the charity dinner hosted by the Liver foundation. Cricketer Sourav Ganguly was also present at the charity dinner.


Prior to the Kolkata concert, Rahman will perform at the GMR Arena in Hyderabad. This event will be organized by Rapport Global Events and Wizcraft.


It is worth mentioning here that Rahman has planned a string of concerts called the Jai Ho concert for various charitable causes and his recently held concert in Chennai was a stupendous success.




Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Blue for Diwali

Now we have another contestant to compete in the Diwali race. ‘Blue’ is flushing all the way from the North to spread the colour and refreshment to South. Know who brings ‘Blue’ to Chennai? It’s none other than our Kalaipuli S Thanu. So, along with ‘Aadhavan’, ‘Jaganmohini’ and Peranmai’ we will have this Akki starer to entertain Chennaiites this festive season.

Releasing this 16th, the film is one of the most anticipated Bollywood movies of the year. ‘Blue’ is tagged with a U/A certificate by the Censor Board. Directed by Anthony D’Souza, this under-water adventure-thriller includes Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta and Zayed Khan. One gets to enjoy a bonus with Katrina Kaif in a cameo role here. The music is already making waves, thanks to AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty, who handled the sound.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

No Mandodari in Raavan

Bipasha Basu was touted to play the role of Mandodari in Raavan. Earlier, the film’s director Mani Ratnam had plans to sign up Nayanthara, which did not materialize due to date issues.

However, the recent buzz is that the director has decided to do away with the role entirely. Apparently, Mani Ratnam felt that he could not do enough justice to the role and there were chances that it could be reduced to a mere item number. Considering all this, Mani decided to chop off the role. This puts an end to the rumors that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was insecure of her role should the Mandodari character be given prominence.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Director turns down AR Rahman’s request

AR Rahman may have several music compositions to his credit. He is also the one that is known for experimenting with music. The musician is also scoring music for several Hollywood films. Despite all this, the Oscar winner is unsatisfied. In a recent event in Hyderabad to announce his concert in that city on October 24th, Rahman said that he always wanted to score music for the film that is directed by K Viswanath.

The ace director is known for directing films like Sippikkul Muthu and Sankarabaranam, which had ample scope for music. However, when the music director put forth his request to the director to wield the megaphone once again, he politely turned it down as there are no takers for such genre of films anymore.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

AR Rahman, ability and disability

“Events like ‘Ability Fest 2009’ would make a huge difference in the way the public view disability. This reiterates the fact that films can make a positive change in society,” music composer A R Rahman said on Monday.

Speaking at the inauguration of ‘Ability Fest 2009,’ a four-day India International Disability Film Festival in Chennai, he said it was a welcome thing that themes such as disability, environment and human rights are attracting the attention of the organizers.

In her address, Tabu said filmmakers should be more sensitive while portraying disability as films were an effective tool to change the mindset of the people.

Audio description technology, which enables audience with visual disabilities to understand the silent parts of a movie, was launched during the festival. The technology will be used in the closing film ‘Taare Zameen Par’ on October 15.

“They (visually challenged persons) would be given headphones and the silent parts of the movies will be described in detail for them,” said festival vice-chairperson Revathy. US Consul-General, South India, Andrew T Simkin, festival director P K Nair and festival chairperson Jayshree Raveendran also spoke.

The four-day festival will screen over 30 movies that have gained international recognition for their sensitive portrayal of disability. The films will be screened from 10 am at Sathyam Cinemas till October 15.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

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

Rahman unites them all

Rahman’s concert at the Marg Swarnabhoomi on 11th October was a stupendous success. As the traffic was completely thrown out of gear, Rahman could not be brought to the venue by road and was airlifted and dropped. The traffic on ECR was more than chaotic and many people had bought tickets found it very difficult to reach the place in time. The unofficial number of audience was roughly estimated to be more than 70,000. The crowd had given a standing ovation to the Oscar winner. Rahman had requested the audience to extend a hand of friendship to their immediate neighbor at the concert as a token of spreading good will and cheer which the crowd dutifully obliged. Rahman’s concert brought people from different age groups, different places, religion and nationality together and to all of them present there, only one thing mattered. And that is music and that too Rahman’s music. Jai Ho Rahman!


Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Resul Pookutty joins AR Rahman

Resul Pookutty, the Oscar winning sound engineer, is now a voting member of the Academy of Motion Pictures! AR Rahman was bestowed with the honor a few months ago and now Resul Pookutty joins him. The honor means Resul will be one among the 6000 voters who will select films for the Oscar awards.

Resul was quoted by PTI as saying, “I received the invitation to become a member of the Academy while I was still in India. You need the sponsorship of two governors from the Board to become a member. Those formalities were completed during my recent trip to Los Angeles. I consider it a great honor and am thrilled.”

The sound engineer is still waiting for some of the best offers to come his way from Hollywood and pins his hope on the membership.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

AR Rahman has the audience enthralled

AR Rahman’s first concert in Chennai, after winning the coveted Oscar award, took place yesterday (October 11th, 2009) at the Marg Swarnabhoomi on the East Coast Road, south of Chennai. This is one of the concerts that are a part of Rahman’s Jai Ho World Concert Tour.

The proceeds from this event will be used by Shakthi Foundation and Rahman Trust for the benefit of handicapped persons. The event witnessed a mega turn out, estimated to be 30,000. But the unofficial figure is said to be astronomical.

Hariharan's rendition of 'Thamizha Thamizha' brought out the patriotic flavor from the crowd who were seen waving the Indian triclor all over. Several singers including Benny Dayal, Blaze and Sadana Sargam enthralled the audience with their singing. Rahman also took the mike to render his favorite songs, 'Rehna Tu' being one of them. 'Adhiradhi' from Sivaji augmented the frenzy of the crowd. Speaking at the event, the Oscar winner said that though Shakthi Foundation requested him to conduct a show in Chennai a long time ago, this seemed to be an opportune moment, especially after winning the Oscars.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com

Mani wants Vikram… says so to Selvaraghavan

The last leg of the Mani Ratnam-directed Raavan was being shot at the Malshej Ghats. Unfortunately, the heavy rains that have been lashing in those parts have made it difficult for the unit to film the scenes and as a result the stars and technicians are forced to stay indoors. The worst affected are the busy stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Vikram. The trio is involved in several projects and have their diaries of schedule jam-packed already. This sudden delay is said to make things difficult for these stars.

A source says that Vikram needs to be in Ladakh later this month to take part in the Selvaraghavan directed flick and is really concerned about the delay. Sensing this, Mani has requested Selvaraghavan to spare a few days so that he could complete the shooting with Vikram.

Courtesy: behindwoods.com

BLUE gets ‘U/A’ certificate

It’s ‘season of blue’ all over the town with everyone overwhelmed with high expectations on this Diwali release.  Produced by Shri Ashtavinayak Cine Vision banner, the film has been given ‘U/A’ by the officials of Censor Board.

Directed by debutant Antony D’Souza, the film is slated to bring you the crème de la crème quotients or stunning visuals of underwater ambience unforeseen in any Indian Cinema. Apart from carrying the A-one category of star-casts Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Lara Dutta, Katrina Kaif and Zayed Khan, the film boasts about going inclusive of world’s top-charting technicians.

Cinematographer Pete Zuccarini, who enthralled us with his spellbinding visuals in ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ and ‘DEEP BLUE SEA’ along with Laxman Udaykar has cranked the camera on eye-catching visuals across Bahamas and Bangkok. A.R. Rahman's musical score is already a stunning charbuster across the global audio markets.

This underwater action-adventure centers on complex relationships between friends on the pursuit of lost treasure.

Courtesy: indiaglitz.com

It's also Rahman versus Pritam this Diwali!

Bollywood's uncrowned number one composer, Pritam, is a die-hard fan of music maestro, A. R. Rahman, and swears by his music. We all know how Pritam acknowledged in an interview (on our very own portal) that JTYJN was the music of the year for him and that "Kabhi Kabhi Aditi" was such a brilliant composition that it was worth its weight in gold.

However, this Diwali, Pritam is pitted against Rahman, as his ALL THE BEST...FUN BEGINS is facing serious opposition from BLUE, Rahman's first Bollywood music album after the Oscar triumph. At present the situation is that Rahman has won hands down (not that Pritam will mind at all!) in this battle, as BLUE is currently the top seller in the market, across all stores in the country and even Overseas, while ALL THE BEST... FUN BEGINS is in hot pursuit! 


No doubt Rahman's name sells, as is evident from the fact that BLUE has overtaken ALL THE BEST...FUN BEGINS, despite the presence of quite a few chartbusters in the album. As Diwali nears, the competition will naturally hot up and we can only say who won in the end when both the films release on 16th October.

In the clash between Pritam and Rahman, one name we forgot to mention is that of composer duo, Sajid-Wajid whose latest album, MAIN AURR MRS KHANNA (which too is a Diwali release), is selling quite well and the film may attract the family crowd, who wish for some wholesome 'mushy' entertainment.

As of now, it's Rahman all the way! So cheers, Rahmaniacs!


Courtesy: glamsham.com

No leak from Raavan: Rahman

The latest wave in the Internet is a supposed ‘leaked’ song from Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film titled Raavan. 


The film, which stars Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles in the Hindi version and Vikram and Aishwarya in the Tamil version, has music by Oscar winner A R Rahman. According to a post in the internet recently, a song — titled Kaadale... in the Tamil version — has been sung by the lead actress Aishwarya herself!

However, music composer Rahman has denied that any such song features in the film. “Someone’s pulling a fast one,” is all he said. All eyes are on Raavan’s music as it will be the first album with the Mani Ratnam-Rahman combination that will be out after the composer’s double delight at the Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire. Besides Raavan, A R Rahman’s current projects include Rajinikanth’s Endhiran and Sultan, Couples Retreat and Vinaithaandi Varuvaaya. 


Courtesy:indiatimes.com

Aishwarya Rai completes filming Mani Ratnam's 'Ravan'

Aishwarya Rai has completed filming for Mani Ratnam's 'Ravan' with co-star and husband Abhishek Bachchan and is currently taking a break with her family.
October 04, 2009, (Sawf News) - Aishwarya Rai has completed filming for Mani Ratnam's 'Ravan' with co-star and husband Abhishek Bachchan and is currently taking a break with her family.


Aishwarya has been slogging it out, working on four films at a time - Mani Ratnam's Ravan and Raavana (Tamil), Vipul Shah's Action Replay and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Guzaarish with co-star Hrithik Roshan.


Aishwarya is playing the same role in both the Hindi and Tamil versions of Ravan. She speaks her own dialogs for the Tamil version as she is fluent in the language.


Aishwarya and Abhishek have lately become inseparable. Late last month the couple signed their first ever commercial together for a soap manufacturer. There are reports that the couple shopped for some time to get the best deal. The ad will fetch them a whopping Rs25 crore.


The couple recently gave their first ever TV interview together when they appeared on U.S. chat show queen Oprah Winfrey's show on Monday, September 28.


Courtesy:sawfnews.com

Ohh la la la- Rahman starts a musical revolution

At this point of time, when music albums aren’t making it big in Tamil Nadu, Ooh la la la has revolutionized the music industry with its grand show. A cause championed by the Mozart of Madras AR Rahman to conduct a nationwide band talent hunt is finally seeing success. The musical album that marked the debut of young aspiring musicians handpicked by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman is riding high on success.  

Ooh la la la contest, India’s first “Band-Hunt” music show started with the tagline “Do you have music in you” and ended up with an ensemble of musicians from various backgrounds- Harish, N S Aruna, Priya, Sandhya, Kishore, M K Balaji, Vijay Narain, Nitya Andrews, Harish Sivaramakrishnan, Mrinmoy Choudhury, Karthikeyan Murthy, Leon, Prithivi, Vijay Krishnan and Guru Prasad, who got together for the music albumOhh la la la.

The album Ooh la la la which was produced by Saregama, one of the leading music companies in audio market saw an immense hype when it was released, as the artist were already popularized by the show. One of the tracks ‘Ondrai Seruvom’ crooned by Vijay Narain and Nitya Andrews with its strong vocals is steadily becoming a favorite among the masses. ‘Kaatrodu’, ‘Vidiyal Thalaimurai’ and ‘Edhuvum’ are gaining popularity too as they are addictively foot-tapping among the youth.  

Post the success of the music album, a lot of interest has been generated within the music fraternity and they are now approaching the young musicians, who have proved their mettle with Ohh la la la. The kind of success that Ohh la la la is now seeing would definitely give a push to Rahman’s dream of expanding the horizons of musicians in India.


Courtesy:planetradiocity.com

Chinmayi elated after winning award for 'Shivaji'

Chinmayi, who won the Tamil Nadu Government award for the best female playback singer for music chart-buster 'Sahana' in Rajinikanth-starrer 'Shivaji' says she feels "blessed" to have worked with Rahman on her award-winning song.

The singer, who is a multi-tasker with diverse interests in singing, dubbing, hosting TV shows and running her own company and, of late, learning to play the 'sarangi' (stringed musical instrument), is elated after winning the award.

"Working under Rahman sir is always a divine experience," said Chinmayi who was introduced by the popular music composer in the Mani Ratnam directed 'Kannathil Muthamittal' in 2002.

The song also fetched Chinmayi her first state government award for the best female playback singer.

Chinmayi, 24, who learned music from her mother, was studying in the 12th standard when she first met Rahman.


Courtesy: ptinews.com

Bipasha Basu out of Raavan

Bipasha Basu is quite upset these days as she is no longer a part of Mani Ratnam’s Raavan anymore. The actress had allotted 20 days for the shooting and had done the dress rehearsals too. However, Mani decided that Bipasha’s role, which also included an item number, would make the film too lengthy and hence chose not to use her. Sources say that it is still not clear if the actress would be replaced or the role is being chopped off entirely.

Mani is said to have made amends with the dejected actress by promising her a plum role in his future project.


Courtesy: behindwoods.com