Music Review: 'Sadda Haq' excels in 'Rockstar'

 If appearance is the initial introduction of a character then Ranbir Kapoor has gained advantage. Youngsters imitating Ranbir's looks in 'Rockstar' are becoming more visible on roads and other public places.

The promos are showing a not so familiar Ranbir with long brown hair and an electronic guitar. His mannerism looks perfect for a young carefree rockstar.

The music of the film is composed by the Academy Award winner A R Rahman but it will be interesting to see whether the songs of the film match with the body language of Ranbir Kapoor or not.

Songs come naturally to Hindi films but sometimes either the actors overdo the act or the music does not hit the correct string.

IBNLive

The first song of the album is 'Sadda Haq' which is fast turning into the rock anthem of the modern generation. The heavy strings used in the song take the audiences to a world where music means just rock.

As per some media reports the lyrics of 'Sadda Haq' is inspired from a peasant movement that has taken place in and around the national capital some years ago.

With good strong word selection, Mohit Chauhan's excels as a rebel voice.

Harshdeep Kaur has sung 'Katiya Karoon' which is a soft romantic number. 'Katiya Karoon' has a very raw appeal attached to it that can give you a feeling of listening rural songs from Punjab and adjacent areas.

'Seher Mein' is another cool track from Rahman which pitches two singers against each other in a battle of melodies.

'Kun Faya Kun' is a qawwali with soulful sound but unfortunately it does not provide anything path breaking to the listeners. It's almost same as songs like Arzian, Khwaja and Pia Haji Ali, earlier made by Rahman.

Lately Rahman has given many chances to Mohit Chauhan. This album too is no exception. He has given voice to 9 out of 13 songs and he does not disappoint the listeners.

'Rockstar' too belongs completely to Rahman as his previous albums but he does not come very close to his real potential in 'Rockstar'.

Courtesy:http://ibnlive.in.com

Rahman wins another International award!

AR Rahman has done it again. He has won the public choice award for his track from the Danny Boyle film, 127 Hours at the World Soundtrack Awards 2011 held at Ghent, Belgium. The If I Rise track from the film was declared the winner in this category.
Yet another prestigious award has been added to his crowded trophy case and ARR is happy with the honor. He thanked his fans for their support and also the World Soundtrack Academy.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rahman scores for RA.One

AR Rahman, Shah Rukh Khan and Rajnikanth

Shah Rukh Khan and A R Rahman have wanted to work together for the longest time. But their plans to collaborate have always fallen through, that is until now. Reportedly, their long-awaited partnership has finally materialised, thanks to the south superstar Rajinikanth.

A source informed Mumbai Mirror that Rahman has agreed to score the music for a very important sequence in SRK's opus RA.One.

Apparently Rahman, who is very close to Rajinikanth, immediately agreed to SRK's request to compose the music for the scene that features a cameo by the south superstar. The source explained, "The scene is the highlight of the film. In the sequence, Rajinikanth and Shah Rukh come together and so, the dramatic effect of the scene depended largely on the background music.

That's why SRK and Rajini decided that an extraordinary scene like that needed a special background music that only someone of Rahman's calibre would be able to achieve. Since the music director is a very close friend of Rajini, he immediately made arrangements to start working on the music for the scene."

Apparently, Rahman dropped all his commitments abroad and returned to his studio in Chennai to record the music for the scene. According to the source, the entire RA.One team, including the film's music directors Vishal-Shekhar was not only agreeable but also excited to have Rahman work on music for the sequence. "After Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth, everyone felt Rahman's presence would be another step ahead for SRK's big Diwali release," added the source.

The last time Rahman and SRK worked together was in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se, in 1998. However, after this project, their plans to work together for a Red Chillies Entertainment production always hit a roadblock.

The two were supposed to work together in Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om - a plan that reportedly fell through due to royalty and copyright issues.

When contacted, Shah Rukh, Rahman and director Anubhav Sinha remained unavailable for comment.

Courtesy:timesofindia.com

Siddarth Bags A Hollywood Offer

Siddarth is Hollywood director Roger Spottiswoode’s choice to play Srinivasa Ramanujam, the mathematics genius. The Hollywood director, known for directing the James Bond flick Tomorrow Never Dies, says that he is interested in making a film on this Math expert and has the script ready.

Siddarth has said that he is excited with the offer and is looking forward to begin the project. The actor, it may be mentioned here, made his acting debut with Boys, a film directed by India’s ace director Shankar.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Its official: Rajini to start 'Rana'

Rajini fans are in for some good news. The Superstar's magnum opus 'Rana', which hit a roadblock after he fell ill, is finally set to restart, that too at the earliest. This has been confirmed by none other than the top actor's younger daughter Soundarya Ashwin, who is closely associated with the project.

"Appa is completely alright. He is fit, fine and brimming with energy. The Superstar is keen to start Rana's shoot and an official announcement will be made very soon," says Soundarya, who is producing the movie in association with Eros International.

Saying that 'Sultan The Warrior', her dream project which has Rajini in the lead, has underwent a major overhaul, the owner of Ocher Studios adds: "KS Ravikumar has taken charge of story and dialogue departments. For the first time in India, we have used Performance Capture technology."

On 'Ra One', the Shahrukh Khan starrer in which Rajini has done a guest appearance, Soundarya says, "It will be a powerful cameo in which appa has played Chitti, a role he did in Enthiran. Shahrukh and others were so happy to have the Superstar on board. So was Rajini."

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Kashmiri wedding in Rockstar

Director Imtiaz Ali has gone to great lengths to make sure that the Kashmiri Pandit wedding in Rockstar is convincing, right down to the smallest rituals. During the recce, he asked the line producer to fix a meeting for him with a Kashmiri Pandit family.

Their house was in a small Hindu settlement in Srinagar and he visited them with his team, sat with the wife for three hours over tea, talking about Kashmiri weddings.

They then walked to the popular Kheer Bhawani temple, met the priest and watched his daughter’s wedding video for a visual understanding.

Designers Manish Malhotra and Aki Narula roamed the streets for hours for the ‘shaneel fyran’ (velvet outfit), traditional Dejhor (earrings that are a must for all married women) and the trang (the cap a girl wears at her wedding).

The food was served in trams (copper plates) and locals were invited to the banquet to offer their feedback in case things didn’t work according to plan.

The Ranbir Kapoor- Nargis Fakhri starrer releases on November 11, 2011.


Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

Music Review: Rockstar

Rockstar
Music: AR Rahman
Lyrics: Irshad Kamil

It isn’t every month that you get to listen to a Hindi film soundtrack composed by AR Rahman. The award-winning artiste selects his projects very carefully, so naturally, everyone’s been eager to find out what Rockstar’s music is about.

It may come across as a surprise, but the music of this Imtiaz Ali film is nothing like its name suggests. For all the right reasons, there’s minimal ‘rock’ to be heard. Instead, it follows the musician Jordan’s (played by Ranbir Kapoor in the film) journey across the country and to Europe and packs in wonderfully evocative numbers ranging from folk and alternative to electro-pop and some Balkan gypsy pieces as well.

Because there’re just so many nuances and undertones in all its 14 songs, you cannot judge Rahman’s music in one go. First, its 66-minute length – with no remixes or reprises to speak of – demands time and attention. The richness is in the details, and if you play the tracks casually, without paying much attention, you’ll miss out. However, multiple listens are highly rewarding. Second, the idea of keeping Jordan’s voice consistent à la Mohit Chauhan (who sings on nine songs) is a great decision. His voice oozes flair without going over the top. For instance, in the semi-parodic Sheher Mein… that’s both a song as well as the making of one, Chauhan’s voice dominates, though Karthik also features on vocals. Often, the song stops abruptly and you’ll hear the producer giving comments and suggestions in the background. 

The opening song sung by Chauhan, Phir Se Ud Chala… is a quintessential Rahman number with wide soundscapes, lots of sonic textures and vocal harmonies. Towards the end, it routes into the electro-pop realm effortlessly. The whimsical carnival piece Hawaa Hawaa… that features gypsy music with bits of flamenco is pleasantly surprising and perhaps the best quirky number we’ve heard since Vishal Bhardwaj’s Darling… from 7 Khoon Maaf.




Other memorable tracks include the evocative Kun Faya Kun… a peaceful and melodic qawwali number sung by Rahman, Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan. Jo Bhi Main… takes the psychedelic rock route and sounds a bit like Pink Floyd circa 1975.

The album loses its focus halfway with songs like Nadaan Parinde… and Tum Ko… but picks up again with Tango For Taj… – another gypsy track with Spanish guitar and foot tapping beats. At the close, Ranbir orates Persian poet Rumi’s words: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.”

Rockstar’s music is in no hurry to get to its destination. Listen to it without a care for the world and you’ll love it. Rahman’s masterful control is evident in every aspect of the soundtrack, and once again reminds us why he’s the country’s most important composer. We won’t be surprised to see this become a classic.


Courtesy:hindustantimes.com

Fantastic bard of Benaras: A filmmaker remembers Bismillah Khan

New Delhi: Shehnai maestro Bismillah Khan had "music on his face", remembers Britain-based filmmaker-writer Nasreen Munni Kabir, who struggled to bring out a documentary on the famous bard of Benaras until the intervention of composer AR Rehman.

The 50-minute documentary, ‘Bismillah of Benaras’, made by Kabir with support from the BBC will be distributed by Sony Music. Kabir collaborated with Rahman, a Bismillah fan, who helped her tie up with Sony for distribution. He also is the presenter of the movie.

"I conceived it in 2002 and worked for nearly nine months on it. It was a desire I cherished since the 1990s when I saw Bismillah Khan at a concert in the British Museum," Kabir told reporters from Mumbai.

"There was music on his face...I had not seen it on anyone`s face. He was so utterly connected to his music. It took 20 years for the dream to come true," she said of Khan, who died five years ago.

"I did not add any archival material, but just interviewed Bismillah Khan saheb. To me that was very important; he was a fantastic man. It was a privilege just to hear him speak of his life," Kabir said.

She added the making of the movie was difficult because for several years, she could not find a producer and distributor.

"I pitched the idea to BBC in 2002, but I could not find a distributor because no one was willing to distribute a classical music DVD. It is easy to market a pop star. I had to wait for five years. No one was willing to take it till I met AR Rahman while shooting a documentary on him. I showed the DVD and he agreed to present it and find a distributor," Kabir said.

The documentary, which explores the life, work and warm personality of Bismillah Khan, is based on interviews and exclusive concert footage filmed at the Khan family home by Kabir and her crew.

The documentary charts Khan`s journey as a musician from his childhood, which he spent learning the shehnai, an ancient wind instrument, from guru Ali Bux. It also features contributions from musicologist Sandeep Bagche, who knew Khan and his music.

Khan brought the shehnai to mainstream classical music at a concert in the ‘Calcutta All India Music Conference’ in 1937.

Born in 1916 to a Dalit Muslim family of court musicians in Bihar, Khan moved to Varanasi at the age of six where he trained under his "guru", a musician at the Vishwanath Temple. A devotee of Saraswati, Khan, a Shia Muslim, often played in temples.

Honoured with the Bharat Ratna, he was one of the few exponents of the instrument the world over. On his death in 2006, his shehnai was buried with him.

"The shehnai used to be considered a folk instrument - it was Khan saaheb, who elevated it to the concert stage. This was an enormous achievement. Shehnai is a tough instrument- it requires power of the lungs and tires the musician," Kabir said.

The filmmaker-writer lamented that classical music was losing popularity among younger listeners.

"More people should write about it and talk about it on television," Kabir said.

Kabir, associated with Channel 4 of BBC, has made a 46-part series on Indian movies, ‘Movie Mahal, In Search of Guru Dutt’ and ‘Follow that Star - a profile of Amitabh Bachchan’.

In 2005, she produced a two-part documentary on Shah Rukh Khan, ‘The Inner and Outer World of Shah Rukh Khan’.

Kabir is currently working on a book on dialogues of Bimal Roy`s ‘Devdas’ - the fifth in a series of Bollywood dialogue books, she said.

Courtesy:http://zeenews.india.com

AR Rahman : I want to do more Tamil movies

Who's who of Tamil cinema including A R Rahman, Mani Ratnam and K Balachander among those who took part in the audio launch of Aravaan, directed by Vasanthabalan.

It was all grand and glitzy affair in Chennai as the songs from the movie was screened besides special trailer. The movie has music by Karthik, a popular playback singer.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahman said, ' Impressed watching trailers of films like Aravaan, I want to score music for more Tamil movies. Films like these excite me a lot'.

'Seeing the trailer I am confident that the movie will be a run-away hit'.

For the past couple of years, I haven't seen any Tamil film. But I am looking forward to Aravaan'.

On Karthik, he says, ' he is a hardworking talent. He will make it big'.

Courtesy:supergoodmovies.com

AR Rahman talks nothing, but music: Yash Chopra

Oscar winning composer AR Rahman`s dedication to work has left filmmaker Yash Chopra amazed.

The veteran filmmaker, who has signed up Rahman for the first time for his next directorial, is wonderstruck at his genius.

"Rahman is a genius. I am working on a film with him, and his way of working is fantastic... he`s amazing. He doesn`t talk anything but music, and he says he knows nothing but music," Chopra said at an event here Tuesday.

Chopra has roped in Rahman to compose melodies for his yet-to-be-titled film starring Shah Rukh Khan.

"Rahman just makes his own music. He says - `Yashji, I make music... you like it, you take it; you don`t like it, don`t take it. I keep making music and I like doing it`. Such is the dedication of that man," added the 79-year-old, whose last directorial venture was the cross-border love story ‘Veer-Zaara’, released in 2004.

Courtesy:http://zeenews.india.com

The story behind Ranbir Kapoor's 'Sadda Haq'

If AR Rahman's Sadda Haq is on loop on your music system, you have a small group of locals from Dharamsala to thank.

It was initially supposed to be a song that plays in the background whenever Ranbir Kapoor exhibited his rockstar mannerisms. But perhaps even unexpected by Imtiaz Ali, the director of the film, Sadda Haq, Ethe Rakh has already become mighty popular.

One needs to thank a group of music aficionados in Dharamshala for this. Says a source, "Imtiaz was supposed to shoot this as any other regular number, in fact a song sung by a bunch of chorus artists. But during the process of shooting when the locals of Dharamsala heard the song, they all ganged up to convince Imtiaz to convert this into a live song."

Not surprisingly, most locals there who are still fighting to free Tibet could relate to the intention behind Sadda Haq. Adds the source, "The song speaks for anyone who is asking for their rights. So especially those groups of people who have been fighting for a cause over so many years felt like it was something they have wanted to say for all these years.

The locals stepped up and participated in the shoot and involuntarily became part of the song. They used to shoot for 10 hours straight without any money, because they felt like it was their song."

So the song, which to be shot at one stretch in Dharamsala, then came down to Delhi and Mumbai, where the director shot with local rock bands too. "Ranbir himself was pretty surprised with the massive crowds who used to gather when the song was played.

In fact, he made sure he took notes from some local Mumbai rock bands, to understand and adapt to their style of singing." The last time we saw a song catch up at such pace was Salim-Sulaiman's Chak de India and A R Rahman's Rang De Basanti before that. Not sure if Sadda Haq will have a similar impact, but for now it's hitting all the right chords.

Courtesy:http://ibnlive.in.com

Rajinikanth's Rana not shelved

There were rumours that Rajnikanth's Rana was shelved. However the Rana team has denied it as rumours.

Eros International Media Ltd), producing Rajnikanth’s Rana with music by A R Rahman and directed by K.S. Ravikumar, says all is well and the project is not shelved.

The shooting of this film has been delayed as Rajinikanth became unwell, after the start of the shooting of the film. Announced earlier this year, Rana is a live action magnum opus with Rajinikanth playing triple role and will be released in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. Along with Rajini, the film stars Deepika Padukone and Sonu Sood.

Speaking on the resumption of the shooting, Ravikumar said, 'Though Rajnikanth has recovered fully well and is keen to start the shooting, we have delayed the start of the shooting, as we don’t want to rush him to start the film shooting immediately ,as the film has Rajini playing triple role and has some stunning stunt sequences.

Eros International along with Next Gen Films, will produce the film through Rana Production Ltd, UK.

Courtesy:supergoodmovies.com

JBL announces association with AR Rahman

The campaign is directed toward exciting music lovers across the world, whilst showcasing the fact that the greatest performers in the world trust JBL.

HARMAN International (India) Pvt. Ltd, announced AR Rahman, as the India Brand Ambassador for JBL by Harman’s “Hear the truth” - a multi-year campaign featuring an evolving roster of top international musicians who want their fans to listen to music as it was intended to be heard. Described as the world’s most prominent and prolific music composer of recent times, AR Rahman will feature in the campaign highlighting “How AR Rahman listens to AR Rahman”. The campaign is directed toward exciting music lovers across the world, whilst showcasing the fact that the greatest performers in the world trust JBL. AR Rahman joins a legendary assortment of musical icons revered across the world, ranging from USA’s GRAMMY Award-winning rock band Maroon 5, multi-platinum rock band Styx and rock legends of the 80’s, Night Ranger to China’s ‘King of Pop’ Liu Huan. In the coming weeks and months, HARMAN will launch its advertising campaign, social media engagement and more, intended to challenge listeners to “Hear the truth,” a campaign designed to resonate with JBL’s long-time fans and music lovers, through the artists and songs they adore. Musicians across genres around the world will be inducted throughout this multi-year campaign. During the course of the campaign, JBL will utilize social media channels to share unique behind-the-scenes video content and video shoots with the featured artists. These engaging clips will showcase the commitment, artistry and vision that the musicians bring to their craft so listeners and fans can “hear the truth.” HARMAN will also re-launch the JBL website (JBL.com) featuring the brand tagline and introduce expanded e-commerce and multilingual capabilities. “We are delighted with the fact that awe-inspiring international icon, AR Rahman, is part of JBL’s ‘Hear the truth’ campaign. The campaign is headlined by world-class musicians and AR Rahman brings with him the talent, absolute zeal and love for music and quality sound which we, at Harman, deem a necessity in today’s world. The JBL brand is renowned worldwide by musicians and sound engineers for its quality sound, and our mission is to ensure their musical integrity is faithfully recreated through JBL products,” said Dinesh Paliwal, Chairman, President and CEO of HARMAN. “The ‘Hear the truth’ message from JBL is what I strive to achieve every day and I am proud to be part of this campaign,” said AR Rahman. “I’m very fortunate to have passionate fans who expect exciting music from me – and I sincerely believe music should be heard the way every musician intends the audience to experience it. For me, that means it should be heard on JBL equipment.” he added. The JBL heritage reaches back more than 60 years and is a leader in developing audio equipment to maximize music for the digital area, developing iPad, iPhone and iPod speakers for the home and office, premium after-market sound systems for car audio enthusiasts and ground-breaking loudspeakers for home theaters and audiophiles. “We welcome AR Rahman into our fold and are indeed ecstatic that he is now part of our JBL by Harman campaign. It is a terrific endorsement to have a great composer join Harman to promote the true meaning of ‘quality sound’. We look forward to encouraging people the world over to hear music the way it was intended to be heard.” said. M. Lakshminarayan, Managing Director, HARMAN International (India) Pvt. Ltd.

Courtesy:indiainfoline.com

I’m trying to be strict with my chidren: AR Rahman

AR Rahman Prashant Jadhav | DNA

He may be a global phenomenon, but music maestro AR Rahman is a very private person. You understand this when you ask the Oscar winner about his children venturing into singing career. His son Ameen sang a track for the Hollywood film, Couples Retreat, while his daughter Khatija lent her voice to a song for South hit Enthiran.

But Rahman laughs when you ask him if he trains them: “No, not really. I think when they learn they have to be very strict with the training. And I’m trying to be strict. How much that can work out in the end, we’ll have to see.”

In the city to present Bismillah of Benares, a 50-minute documentary on classical musician Ustad Bismillah Khan, with director Nasreen Munni Kabir, Rahman opens up about the genre:“He was one of my favourites from the time when I was working with Ilayaraja. I wanted to learn the instrument shehnai, so I bought it and when I played it, I started coughing for a week. It’s a difficult instrument, not meant for everyone. Then when I started listening to him, I realised he made it seem so easy. I invited him when he came for a concert in Chennai; he charmed us all. When I learnt that Munni was making a documentary, I knew I had to join hands with her.”

Rahman’s latest collaboration with Western rocker Mick Jagger on Satyameva Jayate was another feather in his cap. Would he work with Mick again? “The album’s just released and it depends on the reception it gets. Even then it’s a huge statement from India. I’m sure that more people will be inspired to do such cross-cultural collaborations. I was quite sceptical about it, I wasn’t sure people would like it. I’m so glad they did,” he says.

He’s also here to launch his album Connections. But as of now, Rahman is busy building his academy back in Chennai, where he teaches classical and Sufi music, into a rock solid one.Wouldn’t he want to open an academy in Mumbai? “Once I perfect the one back home, things might change. Till then I’ll enjoy the Chennai heat!” he signs off.

Courtesy:dnaindia.com

Rajini is like celestial being: SRK

Shahrukh Khan, who is extremely thrilled that Superstar Rajinikanth shot a cameo for his forthcoming film 'Ra.One', has sung paeans on the South Indian star, saying that he is like a celestial being and he (Shahrukh) was blessed by his (Rajini) presence. "Sitting with Soundarya (Rajini's younger daughter) and seeing the edit of Rajini sir's shoot. He is like a celestial being...the whole office is beaming with happiness. WOW," Shahrukh posted on microblogging site. The King Khan of Bollywood feels his mega budget film 'Ra.One', which is set to hit the screens this Diwali, has been blessed by Rajinikanth, who shot a cameo for the movie in Mumbai on Gandhi Jayanthi (Sunday). The scene with Rajinikanth will showcase him in his 'Robot' (read Endhiran) avatar. It is said to have SRK trying to magnetically attract guns from the goons but when he is unable to do so, Rajini saves the day for the Bollywood Badshah.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rajini does a cameo in 'Ra.One'! SRK confirms

Whether Superstar Rajinikanth will do a cameo or not in Shahrukh Khan's Diwali release, 'Ra.One', has been the talk in the film industry for many days now. Finally, through his microblogging page SRK confirmed that Rajini graced the sets of 'Ra.One'.

SRK wrote, "Misconcepts, misunderstood, stressed and then Rajini sir walks in the sets of Ra.One and you know why God made films! Thanks Soundarya for making our dream come true. Ra.One completed today, Rajini sir blessed it. I have tears in my eyes of gratitude and only prayers and love for his whole family. You complete us sir".

Quite a touching statement from the King Khan isn't it?

The shoot took place yesterday (Gandhi Jayanthi) at Whistling Woods Studio in Mumbai, although the scenes were supposed to be canned at Hyderabad, the location was changed by the team. The scenes were shot at a fast pace and were completed within three hours time!

A cameo featuring Superstar Rajinikanth is definitely going to fetch much audience for 'Ra.One' in the south and internationally this Diwali and will enable the film get a grand opening pan India and not just in the north! Post your expectations on 'Ra.One' and Superstar's cameo this Diwali. More reasons to celebrate, we'd say!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rajinikanth's 'Rana' to roll soon - Eros

Good news for the Asian superstar Rajanikanth fans. The shooting dates of superstar next most awaited magnum opus 'Rana' will be December 2011.

Eros International the producers of the film have issued an official statement mentioning the reasons for the delay thus keeping all the so called rumours of the dropping of the project to rest.

In the official statement received by IG, director K.S Ravikumar says on the resumption of the shooting, "Though Rajinikanth has recovered fully well and is keen to start shooting; we have delayed the start of the shooting. We don't want to rush him to start the film shooting immediately, as the film has Rajini playing triple role and has some stunning stunt sequences."

Sunil Lulla, Managing Director, Eros International Media Ltd added, "It is a proud project for us and we don't mind waiting to be a part of this ambitious project with Rajinikanth as we want him to rest for some more time. Hence we have decided to take the decision on the shooting dates in December 2011."

Announced earlier this year, 'Rana' is a live action magnum opus with Rajinikanth playing triple role and will be released in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. Along with the Asian superstar Rajinikanth , the film stars Deepika Padukone and Sonu Sood.

The music for the film is being scored by A R Rahman, director of photography Ratnavelu. The technical director is Soundarya Rajinikanth, of Ocher Visual effects UK, renowned visual effects luminary and an Emmy award winner, is the creative and special effects director on the film.

Needless to add, we all are eagerly waiting to see the most loved superstar Rajinikanth back in action and hoping December arrives sooner and faster this year.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

AR Rahman Supports 'Hear The Truth' Campaign

What: Harman International signed Indian music icon, AR Rahman as the brand ambassador for the JBL India brand campaign. The Academy Award and Grammy Award winner will be part of JBL by Harman's 'Hear The Truth'- a global marketing campaign featuring evolving roster of international musicians. Where: Grand Hyatt, Mumbai When: 30 Sept

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rahman records with Michael Jackson's lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris

The Mozart of Madaras and India's pride Rahman has recorded with the legendary Michael Jackson's lead guitarist Orianthi Panagaris for 'Rockstar'.

As we all know that A.R. Rahman pious dedication towards his work makes him to go at length to get the perfect sound ditto with Imtiaz Ali who puts his heart and soul to get the right music for his upcoming film 'Rockstar' produced by Shree Ashtavinayak and Eros International.

A.R.Rahman has roped in Orianthi Panagaris for a song titled 'Saadda Haq' in the film's soundtrack.

Here is the story how Orianthi the winner of the Breakthrough Guitarist of the Year award in 2010 by Guitar International magazine became the choice of Rahman for the song.

While working on 'Saadda Haq', the team (Rahman, Imtiaz, Irshad and Mohit Chauhan) agreed that they needed a fantastic lead guitarist to justify the tempo and the lyrics of the song.

A source from the team says, "While Rahman and Imtiaz had shortlisted several Indian and international musicians, they had Orianthi on the top of their list; given her incredible body of work and her huge international success."

Rahman checked with his agent in LA and even met up with Orianthi during one of his work visits there. He made her listen to the rough track and she absolutely loved it. Rahman immediately contacted Imtiaz and soon the Director was online, video chatting with Rahman and Orianthi from Mumbai.

"The Director had a long discussion with Orianthi on Skype; briefing her about the film's story and the song's relevance. Orianthi who was sitting with Rahman in LA immediately played some tunes that she felt could work well for the song. They (Imtiaz and Rahman) loved it and so Orianthi was on board!," the source adds.

A few days later, Rahman recorded Orianthi playing the guitar for 'Saadda Haq' in his LA studio. The process took 6 long hours, while Imtiaz witnessed the entire session through Skype!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rana Dropped

The mega project of Superstar Rajinikanth Rana has been dropped. Rajinikanth met up with director KS Ravikumar at the latter’s office and after a two-hour discussion the duo decided to drop the project on grounds that the movie will take one and a half years to complete and requires immense efforts which the actor is unable to provide at this point of time.

Moreover, Rajini has also offered a new script to KS Ravikumar which is on lines of Muthu and Padayappa, earlier releases of the Superstar. The new project may commence from January it is expected. An official confirmation in this regard will be out shortly.

It may be mentioned here that Rajinikanth developed health complications during the pooja of Rana and was later flown to Singapore for treatment.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Sameera Reddy Is Vijay’s Heroine - Yohan Adhyayam Ondru

If reports from Kollywood are to be believed, Sameera Reddy would play the female lead in Yohan – Adhyayam Ondru. Speculations about the leading lady in this film ranged from Samantha to Trisha but it is now being rumored that Sameera is the girl for Vijay.

Though Gautham Menon is now busy with Neethaane En Pon Vasantham, a trilingual, he has also set the ball in motion for Yohan – Adhyayam Ondru which will commence next year. The film is expected to hit the screens during the early part of 2013.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini's fitness regime

Superstar Rajinikanth is on a strict fitness regime, making himself able and active to shoot for 'Rana'. Since the film's shoot is set to be restarted soon, the numero uno actor of Tamil cinema is equipping himself to play a triple role with morning walks, yoga and simple exercises.

"Rajini is seen going on walk in the mornings inside the Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam premises and in the Poes Garden area, where his residence is located. This is after completing yoga sessions. He is also doing minor exercises," sources say.

Those in the upmarket Poes Garden neighbourhood get a pleasant surprise to see the Superstar on the road. Since the area comes under high security zone as it houses Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's residence, Rajini walks without any disturbance, add sources.

Director KS Ravikumar is ready to start 'Rana' anytime and is just waiting for Rajini's nod. Deepika Padukone and Ileana D' Cruz will play the Superstar's love interests in this film, produced by Eros International in association with Soundarya Ashwin Rajinikanth, music is by AR Rahman.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Jiiva Says It’s Rumors About Gautham Menon’s Film

Following reports that Ram had walked out of the Telugu version of Nee Thaane En Pon Vasantham, it was said that Jiiva had bagged the offer. But, Jiiva has now confirmed that he is not doing the Telugu version. The star said that the Tamil version is being filmed at the moment and he is very busy with it.

Jiiva, however, refused to disclose who would be doing the Telugu version of NTEPV. It may be recalled that Gautham Menon has signed up Jiiva, Ram and Adithya Roy Kapoor for NTEPV’s Tamil, Telugu and Hindi version respectively but Ram moved out of the film and the director is looking for another suitable replacement.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Mani Ratnam’s Next To Begin

India’s ace director Mani Ratnam is all set to begin his next venture from October first week onwards. It is said to be a breezy romantic entertainer with actor Kathik’s son Gautham making his debut. There are several speculations about the leading lady in this film but no official confirmation has been made yet.

Karthik enjoys good rapport with Mani Ratnam and they have given a couple of hit films in the past like Mouna Ragam and Agni Natchathiram. The actor also played an important role in Mani’s last release Raavanan.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Aamir Khan Brings Glory To India

Aamir Khan's legendary film, Lagaan was released in 2001 and was nominated for an Academy award. Now 10 years down the line, the film continues to make waves. Time magazine in its compilation of the 25 greatest sports films of all time has given Lagaan the 14th spot. According to Time, "... this Bollywood epic is cause for joy of meteorological proportions" and is "the longest and most enthralling underdog - sports movie ever" .

Lagaan is the only Indian film on the list. It joins immortal Hollywood films like the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski, Body and Soul, Breaking Away, Bull Durham, and Caddyshack.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham Film Renamed

The Hindi version of Gautham Menon's Vinnaithandi Varuvaya has undergone a title change. The film starring Prateik Babbar and Amy Jackson was originally called Prem Katha but it was felt that the title was not as lyrical and impressive as the Tamil one. The new name that has been decided is Ek Deewana Tha.

Gautham has a penchant for naming his films after popular songs like VTV, Pachaikilli Muthu Charam etc. Ek Deewana Tha is derived from an old Rishi Kapoor song and everybody thinks it suits the film perfectly.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham's Hero Explains Why He Walked Out

Actor Ram who was supposed to work with Gautham Menon in his trilingual, Neethane En Ponvasantham had to face the heat as there were reports that he was throwing bad attitude and walked out because he refused to be kept waiting while the other actors finished their scenes. It was opined by many that he was being unprofessional.

Ram has cleared the air and said that he really wanted to do the film and had somehow found the dates in a jam packed schedule. However, the decision to make it a trilingual was sudden and that would cause delay. Moreover the dates would clash with his other film Endhukante Premanta. The other stuff that has been reported were all rumors made up to add masala to the story, he added.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham Menon's Hero Walks Out In A Huff

Gautham Menon's ambitious trilingual, to be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi has suffered a setback. Jiiva, Ram and Aditya Roy Kapoor were roped in to play the lead roles and Samantha was the lucky heroine who was to be in all three versions. Ram apparently has opted to leave the project.

The reason is that Ram was kept waiting while Jiiva and Aditya finished shooting the scene in that order. He felt that he was wasting precious time and decided to walk out. Gautham had timed the shoot so that the actors could perform in order of seniority but Ram following his recent hit, Kandireega is big news in AP and did not take kindly to this treatment.

Now Gautham is wondering who will be willing to step in at the nth hour. Jiiva has quite the fan following in AP after Ko released as Rangam went on to score at the box office, so he might just do the Telugu version as well.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini’s One-minute Scene For Shah Rakh

The buzz on airs is that Rajinikanth will do a one-minute guest role in Ra. One, a film that has Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. It will be interesting to see the Superstar and the King Khan share the screen space.

Though everything is kept under wraps, some unofficial sources say that Rajini will shoot for this scene at the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad on October 4^th.

Sources say that Rajini may do this guest role for Eros International, as they are the co-producers of Rana and the distributors of Ra. One.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajinikanth's Ra.one cameo alongside Shah Rukh Khan

In one of the biggest collaboration for Indian cinema, Telugu portal 16reels reported that the god of South Indian Cinema Rajinikanth and Bollywood's baadshah Shah Rukh Khan will first time share the big screen in the movie Ra.One.

Rajinikanth, who will play cameo in the film, will start shooting for the film on October 4th in Hyderabad at the Ramoji Film City, sources said.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, Ra.One stars Kareena Kappor and Arjun Rampal besides Khan, who is the producer of the film.

Reportedly the most expensive film in Indian cinema is a science fiction which will, according to Khan, revive the definition of superhero in Bollywood and will be released in 3D and 2D formats.

The film is slated to release on October 26, 2011.

Courtesy:dnaindia.com

Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film A Trilingual

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva evocatively called Nee Thane En Pon Vasantham is going to be a trilingual which will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. In the Telugu version Ram is the hero and Samantha will be reprising her role as the heroine. In Hindi, Aditya Roy Kapoor seen in Zor Ka Jatka and Guzaarish will be the hero.

Samantha just might do the film in Hindi as well though it is not officially confirmed. If things work out for her, this could be her dream Bollywood launch pad.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film A Trilingual

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva evocatively called Nee Thane En Pon Vasantham is going to be a trilingual which will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. In the Telugu version Ram is the hero and Samantha will be reprising her role as the heroine. In Hindi, Aditya Roy Kapoor seen in Zor Ka Jatka and Guzaarish will be the hero.

Samantha just might do the film in Hindi as well though it is not officially confirmed. If things work out for her, this could be her dream Bollywood launch pad.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Valentine’s Day Special From Gautham Menon

Gautham Menon directed Nee Thaane En Pon Vasantham (NTEPV) will be a Valentine’s Day special. The film has Jiiva and Samantha as the lead pair, and shooting of NTEPV is now progressing in Chennai.

We are told that Gautham intends to complete the shooting in Chennai and London in a single schedule as he has plans to release the film on Valentine’s Day 2012. Interestingly, Santhanam has been roped in as the comedian in NTEPV which is being produced by RS Infotainment. The film is touted to be an out-and-out romantic flick with loads of humor added to it. It will be a perfect gift for the lovebirds this Valentine’s Day, we hear.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Gautham's does it for second time in 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'

Well if your wondering what we are referring to, Gautham Menon has roped in a comedian for the second time in his films so far! Santhanam who is ruling the roost in Tamil cinema has booked himself a berth in 'Neethane En Ponvasantham'. Gautham had earlier worked with Vivek in 'Minnalae' that starred Maddy and Reema Sen.

Santhanam plays an important role in this film and Gautham insists that he will be presenting not just Jiiva, but also Santhanam differently. So does he have a love story as well in this film, we'll have to wait to know that...

Tunes will be composed by AR Rahman. Costumes are designed by Nalini Sriram who was well-accredited for her casual styling that revamped Simbu's image in VTV.

The film has also been officially announced in Telugu with Ram playing protagonist, and Samantha again as the heroine. The film is titled 'Nithya', after her character, in the Telugu version.

Not just that, grapevine is abuzz that Gautham will be making this film a trilingual by making it simultaneously in Hindi as well, again with Samantha as heroine! If all goes well, it will mark Samantha's debut in Bollywood. An official announcement on this front will be made soon.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Changes in 'Rana' script

Certain changes are being made to the original script of 'Rana' considering the health condition of Superstar Rajinikanth, who recently underwent treatment for kidney related ailment at a Singapore hospital.

This has been confirmed by lyricist Vairamuthu, who called on the top actor recently at Sri Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam in Kodambakkam. "I was so happy to meet Rajini after a gap," he says.

Vairamuthu adds: "Rajini is perfectly alright. And he is in a very good mood, cracking jokes and analyzing things in his own style. But still, some minor changes are being made to Rana as director KS Ravikumar is not ready to give any strain to the Superstar."

"We discussed many issues in the meeting that lasted for 45 minutes. The topics we covered including literature, politics, philosophy and life. Rajini is happy with the care and concern showered on him by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, DMK president M Karunanidhi and of course, his fans."

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

‘Romba’ super, OC!, Entertainment

‘Romba’ super, OC!

You may have missed swinging to Rajinikanth’s Balleilakka in the film Sivaji, but there’s no escaping the infectious energy of this Michigan symphony chorus that does a super job of the Tamil hit

Prashanth Vidyasagar

Posted On Wednesday, September 07, 2011 at 07:40:04 PM

Michael Mitchell, the conductor and the professor of the group, during the performance of Balleilakka Of his long list of chartbusters, A R Rahman’s Balleilakka from the Rajinikanth-starrer Sivaji - The Boss caught the attention of an unlikely group — a symphony chorus in Michigan in the US. The Oakland Chorale’s version of the song is on YouTube and many have pasted it on their profiles on social networking sites. The Oakland Chorale (OC) is made up of students of music at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. The conductor and professor of the group Michael Mitchell says, “I am influenced by different artists and types of music. I grew up listening to classical music such as Mozart and Beethoven. But I also love rock and roll. Growing up in the 1970s, in the US, I loved Elton John, The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen. So my musical influences are diverse. It is because of this I especially love music that bends or blends genres. I love the idea of a university choir like the Oakland Chorale doing music from all over the world.” Tongue twister It’s this attitude that prompted OC to attempt their own version of Balleilakka. “I first heard a performance of Balleilakka in 2010 and was immediately excited about the possibility of doing it with the Oakland Chorale. It turned out that someone had written a version of the song and published it in the US. I was able to find and purchase this version. We wanted to do a performance that was as close to the original as possible. So we listened to a lot of recordings and watched the video from the movie so that we could do our best with the language and the singing style. It’s not easy for Americans to sing in Tamil, so we spent a lot of time working on the words,” says Michael. It was a challenge for them considering it’s not just a Tamil song but a pacey one at that. It took the OC about three months of hard work to memorise the lyrics. Andy Vanscoy, who sings the male solo in the performance, deserves the best compliments. Andy says, “It took me about a week to memorise my solo and about two weeks to memorise everything else. The language was a pleasure to learn and I caught on very quickly.” Once members of the OC learnt the song, they went onto add their own spin to it. The percussionists who are spot on with their beats are bound to catch your attention in the video. “The members of the Oakland Chorale have very diverse musical backgrounds, ranging from pop to musical theatre to nearly no background at all,” says Cheyanne Coss, who sings soprano in the group. That might surprise those who watched the video. She adds, “The response to the song has been wild, both when it has been performed and on YouTube. Often after the song at concerts, the crowd explodes — you can hear their reaction in the video.” Spiced with spunk Their diverse forays with music make the OC unique. “The thing that separates the Oakland Chorale from other groups is our passion and commitment to every piece we take on. Mitchell is the finest conductor I’ve ever worked with, and his high passion, high energy outlook makes for a completely different atmosphere than at most other choirs or other musical groups,” says Cheyanne, quite nailing the reason for those several replays of the video. The OC plans to work on more music from India and especially with pieces created by Rahman as he is popular in the US. “I love the rhythm and pace of Indian music I’ve heard. As with many other musicians, the drum is the heartbeat of the music. The pacing of the music, the story told through the lyrics, all make for a fantastic song to sing and perform. Between Slumdog Millionaire and the brilliant choreography on So You Think You Can Dance by Nakul Dev Mahajan, Americans have been introduced to Indian music. I think that the interest is enormous,” says Megan Higle who is a singer and an assistant director with the group. The OC have started rehearsing again. “We will be doing one of my favourite new songs from Haiti that is very exciting, much in the same way that Balleilakka is and we will be performing in New York City in the spring of 2012,” says Michael. What does the OC think of Rahman? Michael says, “We didn’t know anything about the actor or the movie until we decided to do the song. The performance of Balleilakka in the movie is stunning. We just wanted to do a good enough job so that people like it and feel like we had honoured the composer, the actor, and the movie. I hope we did.”

Courtesy:bangaloremirror.com/

The Scoop On Jiiva - Gautham Menon Film

Gautham Menon's film with Jiiva and Samantha, Neethane En Ponvasantham boasts of an excellent cast and crew. AR Rahman is doing the music in a bid to recapture the musical magic of VTV. Art direction is by Rajeevan and cinematography will be handled by MS Prabhu. Nalini Sriram is doing the costumes and editing will be done by Antony.

The shoot commenced yesterday and today, filming is going on at Cafe Coffee Day, Nungambakkam. The team will be shooting in and around Chennai till the 24th of this month and then they will pack their bags and fly to London to film the later portions and a couple of songs.

In further news, Neethane En Ponvasantham is going to be a bilingual and will be released in Tamil and Telugu. Samatha will be seen in the Telugu version as well and word is that Ram, recently seen in the hit Telugu film, Kandireega with Hansika will play Jiiva's role. There is every indication this film is going to be a charming love story along the lines of Minnale and VTV.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

Rajini Is All Set To Rock And Roll!

Rajini is ready to work again and he is raring to go. He has recovered nicely from his illness and is strong and fit now. The Superstar will be reporting for work on the sets of Rana from October 3rd. To make up for lost time, KS Ravikumar and the team intend to finish shooting in one long schedule. It is reported that the filming will go on in Chennai and Hyderabad and the unit will be flying abroad for the songs.

Deepika Padukone is the heroine and Sonu Sood is playing the villain. AR Rahman is doing the score. Art direction is by Rajeevan and cinematography by Ratnavelu. Editing is to be done be Antony. Soundarya Rajnikanth and her Ocher Visual Effects will be supervising the technical department.

Courtesy:behindwoods.com

AR Rahman's 'Satyameva Jayathe' from today!

AR Rahman's latest offering, 'Satyameva Jayathe' is due for a release just before Independence Day which falls on August 15.

This song is by international legends such Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Joss Stone and Damien Marley; incidentally, Mick Jagger singing in Sanskrit on the track is definitely a treat for every music fan!

Speaking on the release of 'Satyameva Jayathe' A R Rahman says, "When Dave said A R we want your voice in this album we want this to be a great Indian song too; a long dream for me was to take one of the morals of Indian culture which is Satyameva Jayathe and make it as a song. This is historic if Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and Dave Stewart and I come together for a song like this; it is iconic in a way. I hope people like it."

The song will be premiered exclusively by a leading radio station today, across 22 cities.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Superstar to sign one more film?

When 'Rana,' which stalled for a couple of months due to Superstar's health issues, is back on track here is news that Telugu director Puri Jagannath might likely rope in Superstar to star in the Tamil and Telugu remake of the Bollywood hit film 'Buddah Hoga Tera Baap.' The Bollywood version which had Big B in the titular role was a good hit up north.

Now the director of the film Puri Jagannath is planning to remake the film down south and the only name that he can think of to carry the role of the protagonist played by Bachchan senior is Rajinikanth. Well none from the superstar's side have confirmed this news but there is a buzz from the director's side that he has already spoken about this to the superstar. Speculation is running rife that Superstar might give his nod to this project, though nothing is confirmed as of now.

Rajini is at the moment busy getting ready to carry off being 'Rana.' Now if he nods his yes to the southern version of the Puri Jagannath film then we are sure the audience might get to enjoy some punch dialogues and the larger-than-life image of the central character.

Though we are sure that this film will rock if Superstar gives his thumbs up to this Puri Jagannath's bilingual film, there still remains uncertainty as to whether superstar will give his green signal to this venture. We will get back with more interesting news on this soon!

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com

Rahman completes 4 songs for 'Rana'

Normally our filmmakers would wait for Rahman to compose music for their movies. But it is the other way around for 'Rana', for the Oscar-Grammy winner is ready with four songs, and is eagerly awaiting Superstar Rajinikanth.

"Work related to Rana came to a halt after the Superstar suddenly fell ill and shifted from one hospital to another. However, without wasting time, Rahman has completed four songs," sources say.

"Rahman is waiting for an approval from Rajinikanth after which he would proceed further. The Superstar is expected to sit with Rahman in a couple of weeks," they add.

'Rana', a multi-crore and multilingual film project, is directed by K S Ravikumar and produced by Eros International in association with Soundarya Ashwin's Ocher Studios. Deepika Padukone is the heroine and the shooting would start in October.

Courtesy:indaiglitz.com

Rahman changes his work-style

It was the silence of night that brought out the best of A R Rahman. The Oscar-Grammy winner is known for working non-stop during night hours and taking a break during day time. But there seems to be a change now.

Since Rahman has collaborated with international bands and artistes, he has altered his working pattern. "For the convenience of other members of his team, Rahman is now working in daylight," sources say.

The music maestro is working with the popular Super Heavy band, which has Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, Joss Dtone and Damien Marley. "I am happy to join hands with a team like Super Heavy," Rahman said earlier.

Back home in Tamil cinema, Rahman is scoring music for Superstar Rajinikanth's 'Rana' and forthcoming films of mentor Mani Ratnam and good friend Gautham Vasudev Menon. "He is shuttling between India and America," say his colleagues.

Courtesy:indiaglitz.com