Reliance Big Pictures looks for a big 2010

2009 proved to be a good year for Reliance Big Pictures. Paa and 3 Idiotsturned out to be two of the successes of the year. Now Reliance Big is hoping that 2010 will turn out to be a bigger year. It has lined up a mixed bag of offerings ranging from mainstream masala to regional and art house films.

Take a dekko at its slate for 2010:

• Kites, produced by Rakesh Roshan and directed by Anurag Basu starring Hrithik Roshan, Barbara Mori, Kangana Ranaut and Kabir Bedi, will have its release in Hindi and English simultaneously.
  
  
• Well Done Abba, produced by Big Pictures in association with Sahyadri Filmsand directed by Shyam Benegal stars Boman Irani, Minissha Lamba, Sammir Dattani, Ila Arun, Sonali Kulkarni, Ravi Kishen, Rajit Kapur, Ravi Jhankal and Yashpal Sharma. It is slated for a January 2010 release.
  
  • Mani Ratnam’s Raavan in which Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya RaiBachchan will be seen together on screen for the first time is a modern day adaption of Ramayan. The film is being readied in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu for a 10 August release.
  
  
• The Vinay Shukla-directed Mirch stars Konkana Sen Sharma, Raima Sen, Shahana Goswami, Shreyas Talpade, Rajpal Yadav, Boman Irani, Sushant Singh, Arunoday Singh and Prem Chopra among others. The film, scheduled to release in 2009 got stuck because of the multiplex strike and is to release later this year.

Says Big Pictures CEO Sanjeev Lamba, “2009 was a challenging year for us. We had targeted to release 18 films in 2009 in late 2008. Who knew that we would have to face a long multiplex strike then. We released only 11 films while the rest got delayed for several reasons.
"But, on the whole, the year 2009 was a year of satisfaction for us and we are very happy. With Kites, Well Done Abba, Raavan and other films which would be releasing till the middle of next year, we are hopeful that next year too would be an equally good year for us.”
Big Pictures also has eight regional languages that would release next year.
Prominent among them are Shaji Karun’s Malayalam film Kutty Srank starring Mammooty, Kamilini Mukherjee, Padmapriya and Meenakumari. Then there is Rituparno Ghosh’s Bengali film Abohomaan starring Dipankar De, Mamata Shankar, Ananya Chatterjee, Jishu Sengupta and Ria Sen.
They are followed by Buddhabed Dasgupta’s Bengali film Janala starring Tapas Paul, Swastika Mukherjee and Indraneil Sengupta. Then we have the M S Sathyu directed Ijjodu starring National award- winning actress, Meera Jasmine and Anirudh in the lead roles. Finally,there is a Tamil film titled Singam directed by Hari starring Surya and Anukha. It will release in the second quarter of next year.



Courtesy:www.indiantelevision.com

Bollywood's New Year treat

It’s time to bid farewell to 2009 and welcome a swanky treat from Bollywood in the coming New Year. All the movies are dated to release back to back in the first half of 2010 leaving little scope for the previous film to survive at the box office.
Interestingly, all the bigwigs of B-town will be contending at the box-office to prove their prowess and popularity week after week. Year 2010 will certainly put an end to the long standing dispute over the ‘Number One’ position in Bollywood. But before the drama unfolds, let’s take a sneak peek at what Bollywood has in store for you in 2010.

Salman Khan’s ‘Veer’ is scheduled for release on January 22nd, which is said to be his dream project. Veer incidentally is an epic saga of bravery.  The movie has been directed by Anil Sharma and has music by the famous duo Sajid Wajid.

A week later it will be Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Raan’ dated to release on January 29. Raan has been directed by Ram Gopal Verma and the film focuses on the press and exposes reality behind the headlines flashed every day.

Then comes the reigning Khan’s most awaited venture ‘My Name is Khan’ on February 12, bringing Shahrukh and Kajol together back on silver screen. Karan Johar makes a comeback into direction after a break of four years. My Name is Khan is based on a muslim child who has Asperger Syndrome which is also known as Autism.

It will then be followed by Farhan Akhtar’s ‘Karthik Calling Karthik’, a romantic thriller starring Deepika Padukone in the lead.  There is also Amitabh Bachchan’s starrer ‘Teen Patti’ based on world's greatest living mathematician. Sources from the industry say that one of these films may get proponed and not release on the same date i.e. February 25th.

Mani Ratnam’s magnum work ‘Raavan’ is all set for release on the 21st May, Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Raavan will be Mani Ratnam’s present day version of the Indian epic Ramayan.

Next is Prakash Jha’s biggest venture ‘Rajneeti’ on the 28th May, which reflects contemporary Indian Politicians.  Katrina Kaif will be playing a de-glam role of a politician for the first time. She has also learnt the dialect of U.P. for the role.  Sources also say that her role is based on Sonia Gandhi’s life.



Courtesy:indiainfo.com

A High Note

A project with Mick Jagger, a new studio in Los Angeles and two Grammy nominations.A.R. Rahman has his eyes on the world

It’s been a good year, perhaps the best so far, in A.R. Rahman’s career. If he had a fantastic start with a BAFTA trophy, a Golden Globe and two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman is closing the year with equal shine – two Grammy nominations, one for Slumdog Millionaire in the Best Compilation SoundtrackAlbum category and the other for Jai ho in the Best Song Written For Motion Picture category, alongside Gulzar. This weekend, he was also felicitated by the Trinity College of Music in London.
Rahman subscribes to the philosophy that Slumdog... made him popular. “It was written,” says the musician, without a second thought. “Whether I consider my Sufi teacher’s prediction years ago or this odd incident last year when a gentleman walked up to me and said that I would win an Oscar in 2009. It didn’t seem plausible then, but now, when their words have come true, how can I believe otherwise?” he says.
The Academy win was a proud moment for any Indian but for a musician, the Grammy is more coveted. For Rahman, it’s a double feat because the song that shot him to global fame, Jai ho, was his “most troublesome track”. “The team had sleepless nights for one month to meet the deadline for submitting entries for the Academy Awards,” says the musician, who also had to confront the loss of chief sound engineer H Sridhar and later, the terror attack in Mumbai. “But when I held that Oscar in my hand in Los Angeles, I sensed that I had done each of my fellow countrymen proud. I hoped that I had eased some pain,” he says.
The Oscar led to a wave of interest in his work among top international artistes. First,Pussycat Dolls jived to Jai ho, then Snoop Dogg named the promo single of his album Malice n Wonderland the title Snoop Dogg Millionaire, which featured Jai ho’s singer Tanvi Shah. Now, Rahman is working with composers Dave Stewart and Mick Jagger on a project, the details of which he doesn’t divulge much. He’s also set up his own studio in Los Angeles. “It’s tough to concentrate when you are like a migratory bird. If I am not in a space I am used to, I feel disoriented,” he says.
Rahman would rather not get disoriented by the flood of international work either. Refusing to jostle for projects, he says, “I want to focus on building long-term relationships. It’s good to get to know more international artistes. In the West, a lot can happen over coffee but I want to take up projects in which I can get personally involved.”
The musician is also planning to conduct an international concert series in 2010. The venues aren’t confirmed but will most likely include Dubai, London and a couple of cities in the US. Back home, though, the music of his recent release, Blue, was a rare disappointment.
Rahman isn’t too worried: “It’s important to strike a balance – if you don’t feel right and are not satisfied, there is no way the music will work.” Hits abroad and a flop at home, however, doesn’t deter the musician from where he began. Playing down rumours that he will do fewer Indian projects, he says, “I am happy to be finally working on Indian projects after nearly a year. I already have the Tamil film Vinnai Ehandi Varavaya, whose music releases this week, Mani Ratnam’s Raavan, Abbas Tyrewala’s 1-800-LOVE and Rajnikant’s Robot.”
With such a busy calendar, the reclusive Rahman can no longer ignore the incessant media and public attention. So, he’s changing himself a bit. “I am making an effort to be more open. After all, if I have adopted the role of musician, I better live up to it,” he says. During his concerts in Pune, Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, the shy musician got off the stage to shake hands with and talk to the audience. To push Brand Rahman further, he has also ventured into merchandising, selling Rahman T-shirts and launching a calendar.
The highs, though, haven’t come without compromises, he admits. “My personal life has taken a back seat and I struggle to spend time with my family. I try to skip many events and have refused to accept four honours in the past. These are no justifications but one has to make compromises-some visible and some not-so-visible.”



Courtesy:screenindia.com

Rahman visits Pedda Dargah

Oscar winning music maestro AR Rahman along with his family members visited Ameer Peer Dargah today and offered special prayers on the occasion of Muharram.

Bollywood director Abbas and another film personality also visited Pedda Dargah along with Rahman. After taking the blessings of the religious heads, Rahman left the dargah without talking to the media.


Courtesy:expressbuzz.com

A.R. Rahman marketing his “Best” album

Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) has come up with “The Best of A.R. Rahman” album which is selling at his official web-Store for 16.49 dollars.


Titled as “The Best of A.R. Rahman: Music and Magic From the Composer of Slumdog Millionaire”, this CD by Legacy label claims to compile “much of A.R. Rahman’’s finest work in one comprehensive package”.


It lists 14 tracks: Rang De Basanti, Khoon Chala, Barso Re, Tere Bina, Mayya, Ghanan Ghanan, Radha Kaise Na Jale, Dheeme Dheeme, So Gaye Hain, Gurus of Peace, Yeh Rishta, Ae Nazneen Suno Na, Shakalaka Baby, and Warriors in Peace (Hindi version).


Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Rahman for creating pride and respect among India’s youth about their own rich musical heritage. Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, credited Rahman for opening new doors to East-West relationship in music.


Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras”” by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”. (ANI)


Courtesy:www.duniyalive.com

Endhiran action scenes in Lonavala

Rajinikant has done some daring action scenes in a moving train for his Shankar directed Endhiran, in Lonavala. The scene also featured Aishwarya Rai and was choreographed by action director Peter Haynes.
Lonavala lies between Mumbai and Pune and is a beautiful hill station. The producers Sun Pictures has managed to get one of the most picturesque locations to shoot a train sequence.
Normally train sequences for Tamil films are shot either in Ooty or Shenkottai controlled by Southern Railways. For the first time Lonavala in Central Railways is being used for a Tamil film, giving it an all new look.
Amitabh Bachchan has written in his blog - “ I had a surprise visitor Rajinikant in my room at the Fariyas resort in Lonavala. He is shooting forRobot with Aishwarya in and around Lonavala and dropped in for a chat as he had seen my Paa.”

The views expressed in the article are the author's and not of Sify.com. 



Courtesy:sify.com

Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa to be launched globally

Gautham Menon is back again with yet another sizzling and highly anticipated flick, Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaayaa (VTV), a romantic movie produced with an international audience in mind. Silambarasan and Trisha Krishnan adorn the leading roles. The music is scored by the Oscar Winner, the one and only, A.R.Rahman. 'Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya' is the first audio launch in Tamil for Rahman after he brought home Oscars and the Golden Globe and expectations are high among audiences. The lyrics are by Thamarai and the editing done by Antony.

The film was shot in many picturesque locations including the beautiful Malta islands near Italy and various locations in the U.S.A including the Big Apple, New York City, and various scenic spots in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The audio of the film first rocked the public on a calm Saturday, 18th December in London at a glamorous function presided by A.R.Rahman himself with playback singers giving live performances to a full theater. It was received very well by the public and is sure to raise the anticipation levels. “The music is really great, so are the visuals in the songs. I expect it to be a blockbuster” – says Shanker Koladi who attended the audio launch in London.

The movie is scheduled to release on 12th February 2010, very close to Valentines Day. Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya has seven songs as part of its music album. The music will available exclusively on Sony Music and will be released on January 7th, 2010 internationally. Two95 Entertainment, Inc has bagged the distribution rights and will be releasing the movie in major cities of US, Canada & Europe on February 12th. Since it is releasing during the Valentines season, distributors are expecting a huge opening for VTV.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rahman's hosanna - a warning

Although the audio of Gautham Menon's Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya is not released yet, the song Hosanna, released as a 30-second teaser on the internet (on Rahman's - unverified - Facebook / Twitter pages) has managed to create enough buzz for the movie's album. However, a press release from Gautham Menon's desk blames miscreants of having released the rough draft version of the Hosanna song and warns people who download or send it as mail forwards with penal action.

The press note also says that 'a software has been installed to track the song over the net before its official release'.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini's train fight

Our sources report that Rajinikanth has done a daring stunt sequence in Endhiran, which was choreographed by stunt director Peter Heins. This fight scene has been shot in Lonavala near Mumbai.

According to our source, Rajini took part in the powerful fight scene that was shot on a train. The exotic location in which the train fight was shot will add attraction to the film.

Endhiran’s lead lady, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was also present during the shoots. The film, it must be mentioned here, is directed by Shankar and produced by Sun Pictures.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

When VTV comes to Chennai

As promised by Gautham Menon, the director of Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, the audio of the film will once again be launched in Chennai on January 2nd 2010. Soon after the music release in London, Gautham said that the idea to launch the audio in London was due to the fact that music director AR Rahman is a universal figure and to show to the world that he is from Tamil Nadu.

However, the director decided to launch the audio once again in Chennai and has arranged for a grand function on January 2nd 2010.

VTV is the much expected film of the year and stars Silambarasan and Trisha in the lead roles.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Ash posts her first message on Twitter

She’s yet to open her own account

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan recently connected with her fans via Twitter. However, she used husband Abhishek’s account to post her message.

Recently Ash got a day off from her busy work schedule. She had been shooting back-to-back for “Raavan” and two more Tamil films. She also some other commitments which kept her on her toes, travelling from one place to another. And, she hardly got to spend any time with Abhishek.

So on her day off, she packed her bags and went to Goa where Abhi was shooting.

Abhishek was shocked to see her on the sets. He was also thrilled that she had come all the way to spend a day with him.

Post his shoot they had a cozy dinner. But before flying back to Mumbai, Ash decided to connect with all her fans worldwide. So she posted her first Tweet from Abhishek’s account.

This is what she wrote: “This is officially my first tweet. I got a day off so had to swing by and see my baby. I will be back to work tomorrow.”

Courtesy:masala.com

A. R. Rahman charging $100 ticket at his "free" Oz gig

Oscar winner A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) is charging 100 dollars per person for a "VIP Experience" at his "free" concert in Australia on January 16.

"Sydney Festival", organizer of Rahman concert, however, is advertising this event as "free", describing it as "free outdoor spectacular".

The "Store" on the official Rahman website is "exclusively" selling this "Jai Ho VIP Experience Package", which includes: after-show meet and greet with Rahman, photo with Rahman (fan-provided camera), Rahman's autograph, official event t-shirt (handshake of Indian and Australian flags on a black t-shirt).

There is a limit of four tickets per order and portion of the proceeds will go to Rahman's KM Music Academy. It tells customers: "Do not contact the Sydney Festival regarding packages".

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged Rahman to donate all the proceeds from the sales (after deducting expenses) of these VIP packages to the scholarships for qualified but financially strapped students of his world-class KM Music Conservatory.

Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, requested Rahman not to refuse admission to any talented aspirant to the Conservatory who otherwise fulfilled all the admission requirements but was financially unable to bear the cost.

Rahman is a headline act at the world famous "Sydney Festival 2010" in Australia. Rahman's two-and-a-half hour "free" and exclusive music-dance performance will include over 40 Bollywood dancers, singers, and musicians at outdoor historic Parramatta Park near Sydney. Launched in 1977, this annual Festival which attracts about one million people, will be held from January 9-30 and will showcase exceptional dance, theater, film, and music programs by renowned artists from all over the world.

Lindy Hume is the Festival Director while Clover Moore is the Chair.

Courtesy:birminghamstar.com

A.R Rahman joins forces with the Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart to create soundtrack for new movie

A.R Rahman the music producer behind Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, has embarked upon an exciting new project for the New Year. The renowned musician will be working alongside Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics’ fame to produce a new soundtrack for an upcoming movie.

The film has the working title, Street Dancing, and centres around cutting edge dance competitions. With direction from Bille Woodruff and starring Cindy Gonez, the action takes place in both New York and Singapore creating a cross-cultural aspect to the movie.

This feeling of East meets West is continued with the collaboration between A.R Rahman, nicknamed the Mozart of Madras, and British Golden Globe winning musician, Dave Stewart. The pair will write the musical score for the movie together.

The movie is aimed at a global audience and seeks to build bridges between different cultures through the medium of song, dance and drama.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed has praised A.R Rahman for representing Indian music on the world stage and has welcomed this latest film project which will further promote Indians and their musical talents.

No release date for the film has been announced.

Courtesy:bhangra.org

Is Gowtham trying to lure foreign producers?

Maybe, Gowtham Menon has succeeded launching his “VTV’ audio in London. But now the biggest question is -Did Gowtham urge A.R. Rahman to promote him amongst UK Film Industry?

It’s a very well known fact that A.R. Rahman has big groups of fans following him in London much prior to his Oscar triumph. Indeed, that happened to be one of the reasons for British Filmmaker Danny Boyle approaching Rahman for “Slumdog Millionaire’.

According to the sources, it has been reported that the filmmaker Gowtham had plans about launching a production house in collaboration with some of the leading production houses in Western Countries so as to invest Rs.100 Crores for various film projects.

Well, when asked about the reason for launching the audio of “Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya’ in London, Gowtham had mentioned that Tamil films have advanced a lot in terms of technological and narrative aspects.

Courtesy:thaindian.com

AR Rahman to provide free music education to 30 students

Double Oscar-winner AR Rahman is a silent philanthropist. DNA has learnt through reliable sources that this Mozart of Madras has launched an ambitious project that will see him provide free music education to 30 students from corporation schools in Chennai this year. What's more interesting is that the musician and composer will reach out to more such students every year from the next semester.

A source close to the development reveals, "The vision of the AR Rahman Foundation is to strive towards making poverty history. As a first step towards achieving this vision, the foundation will set up educational institutions and provide world class, state-of-the-art infrastructure and education to underprivileged children who do not have the means to access and fund their education."

The informer adds, "This will equip them with knowledge and skill sets to pursue specialised higher studies that will provide them career opportunities to build a secure future for themselves and their families. The AR Rahman Foundation is presently providing free music education to 30 students from corporation schools in Chennai."

When contacted, Rahman confirmed, "At the foundation, we know that there is no better investment than that in the education of children."

We've also learned that these students are being given the same kind of education like others who are paying the fee. "These underprivileged students are being trained at the KM Music Conservatory by a world-class faculty. The foundation aims to increase the intake of such students in the forthcoming years thereby extending the benefit of free music education to the truly deserving," adds the source.

Courtesy:dnaindia.com

Naga Chaitanya's film cans in NY, Kerala

Indira Productions' film with fledgling Tollywood actor Naga Chaitanya is fast progressing. The unit has canned some numbers in New York and Kerala. The makers have planned to release the film in mid-January. However, the audio is releasing early next month. The music is by AR Rahman.

Produced by Sanjay Swaroop and Manjula, the fim is directed by Gautham Menon, and is touted to be a love story that has sensitive emotions forming its thread. For the Akkineni scion, this one is definitely a prestigious project especially because it has big talent associated with it.

Krishnudu (Vinayakudu star) is playing a significant role in the film. He is doing the role of Chaitanya's friend. Also starring are Devan, Surekhavani and Trisha Alex.

Superstar Krishna is presenting the film. Budding lyricist Anantha Sriram has penned the numbers. Umarji Anuradha, who wrote screenplay and dialogue for a short film based on Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography earlier, is penning the dialogue.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Aishwarya Rai to fight with Rajnikanth

‘Endhiran’(Robot) is shaping up well and it is time for Aishwarya to once again brush up her action skills. Yes. The latest update from the ‘Endhiran’(Robot) unit is that Aishwarya has got a stunt sequence in which she fights Rajinikanth.

We have seen her ability to perform in action sequence from her earlier movies like ‘Dhoom 2′ and ‘Jodhaa Akbar’. Now we will be able to see her giving her best opposite Rajinikanth. According to the script, Rajini teaches Aishwarya Rai the martial arts form and a scene has been filmed recently based on the same with Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai.

It is also known that she is learning Karate from Ramesh master to perform naturally in the Shankar directed ‘Endhiran’.

Courtesy:newmovieslist.com

Trinity College confers honorary fellowship on Rahman

After winning two Oscars and being nominated for two Grammy Awards, A R Rahman has now been conferred the honorary fellowship from Trinity college of Music in London. CNN-IBN's Akanksha Banerji spoke to the Mozart of Madras about this latest honour.

CNN-IBN: Two Grammy nominations and the dream run seems to be continuing for you.

A R Rahman: A long dream. It's a beginning for me; I hope I get it but if not this time, then next time.

CNN-IBN: You have got an honorary fellowship from the very prestigious Trinity College of Music, so do scholarly awards bring more responsibilty? Are they more special? And what exactly are you going to do with your association with the university now?

A R Rahman: I am actually the principal for the Classical Music Conservatory back in Chennai, so that felt odd to. I was wondering what I was doing there too. But this one specially, the Trinity College fellowship is something special. I am almost 43 now so almost 30 years have been spent in the Trinity College circle. So I felt good going there.

CNN-IBN: You are also going to face the camera forThe son of a Preacher Man, so how was that experience for you?

A R Rahman: It's just a documentary for my friend PJ Morton. He sang Sajna for Couple's Retreat and he is also a great artist in his own right and a very nice man.

CNN-IBN: Despite the international projects, the domestic demands still continue is it?

A R Rahman: I love to do both. It's like learning from here and giving some there.

Courtesy:in.com

Oscar Winning Composer A.R. Rahman To Offer Scholarships At His Conservatory

Oscar winner composer A.R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory is offering scholarships to deserving students. Scholarships are based on financial need and will be available to students with outstanding auditions, according to reports.

The first of its kind in India, KM Music Conservatory says it meets international standards of music education. Conservatory offers Preparatory Program (2-5 years), Foundation Program (1-2 years), and Degree Program (three years) under affiliation of Middlesex University in United Kingdom (UK), and is planning “Masters Program” and a “Diploma in Indian Music and Music Technology”. Conservatory will teach entertainment icon Michael Jackson as a subject, according to reports. Many faculty members have degrees from USA and UK. Sound editor Joe E. Rand (Titanic) has lectured here besides demonstration by Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Founded by Rahman (who is also its Principal), KM Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam area of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state of India envisions expanding the horizon of musicians in India by offering education in both Indian and Western music besides music technology and its mission is to provide students with a strong artistic, intellectual, and technical foundation.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras” by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”.

Courtesy:filmmusicmag.com

Oscar winner Rahman to perform live in Qatar, Australia & Oman in January

Oscar winner musician A. R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire) will give three live performances in three different countries during January.

He will reportedly perform at Aspire Dome in Doha (Qatar) on January eight, historic Parramatta Park outside Sydney (Australia) on January 16, and in Police Stadium Muscat (Oman) on January 21.

Besides Rahman, these concerts will reportedly include few dozen artists/dancers also, including some well known names. These shows are claimed to be audiovisual spectacle involving pyrotechnics and lighting.

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended Rahman for taking the Indian music to new heights and bringing respect and international recognition to Indian film music. Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, urged Government of India to launch some world-class conservatories in collaboration with major business houses to channelize the abundant musical talent of India.

The two-and-a-half hours outdoor concert in Australia will be free for the public where the organizers have described it as “a night like no other”. Australian film director-screenwriter-producer Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge!) has stated: “Whatever the style, A.R. Rahman’s music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit.” Its venue Parramatta Park is one of Australia's most important cultural landscapes and receives over 1.5 million visitors annually.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras'' by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”.

Courtesy:webnewswire.com

Oscar winner A R Rahman creating a world-class orchestra in Chennai

Oscar winner musician A.R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory is reportedly attempting to recreate a world-class orchestra for the enjoyment of Indians.

“Currently Indian composers must go abroad to find orchestras to record. The vision of KM Music Conservatory is to eliminate this obstacle and provide an exemplary orchestra here in India,” Rahman said.

With the aspiration of producing the KM Symphony Orchestra, KM Music Conservatory trains students to become highly proficient musicians. The first of its kind in India, KM Music Conservatory claims to meet international standards of music education.

Conservatory already offers Preparatory Program (2-5 years), Foundation Program (1-2 years), and Degree Program (three years) under affiliation of Middlesex University in United Kingdom (UK), and is planning “Masters Program” and a “Diploma in Indian Music and Music Technology”.

The conservatory will also teach entertainment icon Michael Jackson as a subject, according to reports. Many faculty members have degrees from USA and UK. Sound editor Joe E. Rand (Titanic) has lectured here besides demonstration by Vienna Chamber Orchestra.

Founded by Rahman (who is also its Principal), KM Music Conservatory, which is located in the Kodambakkam area of Chennai, envisions expanding the horizon of musicians in India by offering education in both Indian and Western music besides music technology and its mission is to provide students with a strong artistic, intellectual, and technical foundation.

T. Selvakumar is the managing director of this international school of music and music technology whose tagline is ‘Become the Future of Music’.

Rajan Zed, the chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, in a statement in Nevada (USA), urged Rahman to help nourish the next generation with the richness of Indian music which had produced musical authorities like Dattila (190 AD), Amir Khusrau, Naik-gopal, Puramdaradasa, Tansen, Pundarika-vitthal, Govind Dikshitar, Ramdas, Venkatamakhin, Tyagaraja, Pandit Bhatkhande, etc.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called “Mozart of Madras’ by Time magazine. Rahman sees music “as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it” and for “creating harmony in troubled times”. (ANI)

Courtesy:sindhtoday.net

Ash agrees to Mani Ratnam once again!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has agreed to dub for the Tamil version of Raavan, sources say. The actress has been associated with the Tamil film industry for quite some years now with a couple of popular films like Iruvar and Jeans to her credit. The lady had been rendering the dialogues in these films by penning them down in English but ultimately the dubbing was done by another artiste.

For Raavan, however, Mani Ratnam had suggested that Ash should dub with her voice to bring in the essence of the film. And reports say that Ash has indeed agreed!

It is worth a mention here that Sandhya, Aishwarya Dhanush and Kanika were in consideration to dub for Ash in Raavan.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rahman's new music video- Buzz18 Entertainment

AR Rahman has released a video of Jiya Se Jiya as a part of his new album.




Courtesy:in.com

A R Rahman BBC interview - vinnai thaandi varuvaaya Hosanna song

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‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ on Valentine’s Day

After the super success of ‘Varanam Aayiram’ both critically and popularly, Goutham Menon is ready with his romantic flick ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’. The film has already made the headlines with its music launch in London. The film is a made in Tamil and Telugu A R Rahman scoring music for the first time for a Menon film. Goutham’s favourite lyricist Thamarai has penned all the songs.

Reliable sources have said to the film will have separate music launches in Hyderabad and Chennai and the eagerly awaited film will be released on Valentine’s Day almost certainly.

The story of the film goes like this. Silambarasan is an assistant who aspires to be a successful director. He and Trisha fall in love and the love life almost makes Silambarasan drift away from his dream for the sake of love.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rahman awarded 'Man of the year' - Video

"RAHMAN AWARDED 'MAN OF THE YEAR'

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Why VTV in London?

"The team of Vinnai Thaandi Varuvaaya is a happy one. The audio launch of the film was successfully held in London last week which was attended by the lead pair Trisha, Silambarasan along with director Gautham Menon, A R Rahman, singers Karthik, Chinmayee, Naresh Iyer, and Benny Dayal along with a few London musicians.

Gautham Menon has returned to Chennai and for a poser on why the music was released in London, he said, “A R Rahman is a universal figure and to demonstrate to the world that he belongs to Tamil Nadu, we held the audio launch function in London.” However the music of VTV will definitely be introduced in Chennai also, added the director."

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rahman's honor

On conferring the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year award to Rahman, the Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh said, “Rahman’s music is inspirational... When I heard Rahman in the White House, you cannot imagine the sense of joy and achievement…”

The award for entertainment was presented to the Mozart of Madras for “lessening the divide” through music.

Kamal Haasan who completed 50 years in cinema, was given a special award

Others that were presented with the prestigious award were Satyam revival team for business, Saina Nehwal for sports, The Indian cricket team, Pratham, an NGO, for public service.

Rahul Gandhi, who was awarded the politician of the year award, was not present to receive the award as he had prior commitments in Uttar Pradesh.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

A R Rahman @ BAFTA venue for the second time

‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ started making vibes at the audio charts with its music released in London on Dec 19th (Saturday). A 40 member team of Goutham Menon was in London for the function that happened at the celebrated BAFTA venue.

The audio preview of this Silambarasan-Trisha starrer saw a host of VIPs including the Academy award winner cum the film’s music director, A R Rahman. The guest list included a group of South India's finest musicians, a team of singers, together with Silambarasan, Trisha, Goutham Menon and the film’s only lyricist Thamarai.

This exotic event was a packed show and thrilled the music lovers of London. There were live performances by the film’s singers that made the function even energetic. Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’s audio launch is the first Tamil music launch ever since A R Rahman won the prestigious BAFTA and Academy Awards. The event was first-of-its-kind for a Tamil film to have the music launched outside the country.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya Audio released in London

Gautam Menons new Simbu-Trisha starrer Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya hit the public view first with its audio release in London on Saturday. It is to be noted this is the first ARR-Gautham movie after the highly successful combination of Gautam Menon -Harris Jayaraj split. All the songs are penned my Thamarai for the film.

The songs in the album are

Omana Penne
SINGERS : Benny Dayal, Kalyani Menon
Malayalam Lyrics : Kalyani Menon

Anbil Avan
SINGERS : Devan Ekambaram, Chinmayi

Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa
SINGERS : Karthik
Additional vox : Vivek Agarwal

Hosanna
SINGERS : Vijay Prakash, Suzanne, Blaaze
English Rap Lyrics : Blaaze

Kannukkul Kannai
SINGERS : Naresh Iyer

Mannipaaya
SINGERS : A.R.Rahman, Shreya Ghoshal

Aaoromale
SINGERS : Alphonse
Malayalam Lyrics : Kaithapram

We wish Gautham-ARR combination also soar new heights.

Courtesy:indaglitz.com