"Unbelievable..! I thought, I would not win, so anyways thanks to the almighty God for bringing me here... Danny Boyle, Fox pictures, all my musicians in Chennai, Mumbai,... and the billion people from India,"
This was A R Rahman,as humble as ever after winning the prestigious Golden Globe Award.He was very dignified,and with his traditional shyness and simplicity.It's absolutely thrilling for all of us,we Indians, that he is being recognized in a major way internationally.He is already a Legend in India,and it was only a matter of time that the world would also appreciate this rare gem.
Rahman is a national treasure and we should all be very very proud of him.
He won the Golden Globe Award for the original music score for the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' and by this he obviously became the first Indian to do so.He won the coveted prize for his music score 'Jai Ho' in the film.
A Mumbai underdog's rags-to-riches story, 'Slumdog Millionaire', swept all the four categories it was nominated for, winning the best director award for Boyle, the best music score for Rahman, best screenplay for Simon Beaufoy and also in the category of best drama.
Vijay Singh, CEO of Star Fox Studios, which is all set to release the film in India on January 23 said he spoke to Rahman soon after winning the Best Original Music score award for 'Jai Ho', penned by lyricist Gulzar.
"He (Rahman) told me that this is a gift for India," Singh said.
Last week on his birthday (January 6) before leaving for Los Angeles, Rahman told reporters via video conferencing from Chennai that he wanted to win the award for India.
"Personally for me, it would be surprising if I win. But, I want to win it for India," Rahman had said.
"It is a proud moment for all Indians. The film has won four awards--Best Picture, Director, Screenplay and Original Music score. The story touches the hearts of Indian film watchers. It is about hope, overcoming all odds and believing in your love," Singh said.
Bollywood singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan said, "Rahman is truly the king, the leader. He is one of the finest composers of this country. He has carried India's name on the global map and has achieved something which no one from this country could do. He deserves every award that exists."
Javed Akhtar: I'm thrilled, happy and proud, but not at all surprised. It's inevitable for a genius like Rahman to get international acclaim.
Gulzar: It's the horse that has won the race. The one riding the horse was Rahman. My lyrics for Jai Ho were just the lagaam (rein) for the horse. Rahman has always been a clutter-breaker. He broke the antara-mukhda-antara (stanza-intro-stanza) mould in Hindi film songs. Now he has broken into the international arena. I'm working with him on the new Mani Ratnam project Ravan. As always it's a pleasure. All I can say for Rahman is, Jai ho.
Amitabh Bachchan: Congratulations. A reward most deserving.
Abhishek Bachchan: What a glorious moment for him. He continues to make us proud. I'm very lucky to have worked with him in Yuva, Guru and Delhi 6. My congratulations to him.
Bappi Lahiri: It's a great honour for Bollywood. We're all proud of Rahman. God bless him.
Ashutosh Gowariker: Rahman and I have worked together in Lagaan and Swades. We're now doing What's Your Raashee. In one word he is fantastic! He's a trailblazer. I'm so very proud of him and too thrilled. And his speech at the Golden Globe ceremony was superb, short, sweet and full of gratitude for his fans. Wow! I'll exhale only when I meet him.
Shreya Ghosal: I'm extremely happy and thrilled to hear this. It's a huge achievement. I'm very proud of Rahman sir. This is just the beginning for him.
Farhan Akhtar: I'm very happy for him. The recognition is truly deserved. Congratulations to Rahman and Danny Boyle.
Vishal Bharadwaj: Things just won't stop here for Rahman. The genius shall now bring an Oscar for us.
Anand Raj Anand: He deserves it. He's the only music director who got opportunities to work with big banners and super talented directors. I wish him many many more achievements.
Sameer Anjaan: It's a proud moment for every Indian. I'm lucky to have worked with him. He deserves much more.
Himesh Reshammiya: He deserves it. He's my favourite.
Kunal Ganjawala: This is just the beginning of many more international awards to come for Rahman.
Music director Pritam said he was overjoyed to hear the news about Rahman's success. "Rahman is the best. He has made India proud," he added.
"Look at his compositions. From regional to typical Bollywood and Western, he has done it all. He is a master of all kinds of music. My best wishes to him for the Oscars." -- Vasundhara Das
Actor Jackie Shroff, expressing happiness after the film won the awards, said, "Rahman's win is special. India deserves to be on the top. Such an honour is never too late."
There were great reviews for Rahman's music for this film even before he won this award.
'Danny Boyle has upped the ante by hiring the great A R Rahman, the king of Bollywood music,' wrote Kenneth Turan in Los Angeles Times, 'to contribute one of his unmistakable propulsive scores.'
'The propulsive score, by Bollywood soundtrack auteur A R Rahman, is hip-hop fusion of a very up-to-date kind,' Kurt Loder announced on MTV.Com.
In Rolling Stone, Peter Travers wrote, 'The film is a visual wonder, propelled by A R Rahman's hip-hopping score and Chris Dickens' kinetic editing.'
Also read below what Rahman said before leaving for the award ceremony :
He spoke to Subhash K Jha (timesofindia) before he left for the Golden Globe.
I don't think any Indian musician has won the Golden Globe award?
That's good. I see it as an honour for India, not just for me. More to come, hopefully.
The Golden Globe is seen as a precursor to the Oscars.
Let's hope so. I've my fingers crossed. When a film and my music get acceptance, it's the equivalent of an Oscar for me. For the people of India to get an Oscar is a big thing. So for their sake more than mine I hope my song Jai ho and my music score in Slumdog Millionaire win the Oscar.
Freida Pinto says of the 4 GoldenGlobe Nominations for Slumdog Millionaire yours makes her the proudest.
That's really sweet of her. I was in LA to have lunch with all the panel members of the Oscars. Also, to do press meets and promotion for Slumdog Millionaire which is getting a terrific response in La.
You know some critics in the US say it's one of the best films they've ever seen. It's not just about my music. It's the way the director Danny Boyle has put together the film.
Please explain.
The throbbing pulse of Mumbai is superbly captured in the film. Slumdog Millionaire (SM) is about suffering, hope and redemption. If my music in SM has made an impact in the West it's because it's projected so effectively.
Though some of the songs are in Hindi nobody complained about them being boring or incomprehensible.
Jai ho, the song that has been nominated for the Golden Globe, O saya and Ringa ringa which is influenced by Choli ke peeche are in a foreign language for them. But the Americans love it.
Were you in the US to lobby for the Oscar for Jai ho?
It's not about lobbying. It's about letting the jury members meet you, get to know you and decide if the person behind the creation is worth putting a vote for. As an artiste I need to be recognized on a human level.
So I needed to go to Hollywood with my song Jai Ho. I met all the top Hollywood soundtrack composers like Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore and Danny Elfman.
And what did they have to say about your music?
They had a genuinely warm comments for my music in Slumdog Millionaire. At first I thought they were just being sweet and polite.
You know, LA is a kind of place where people in the entertainment industry say a lot of things they don't mean. So I double-checked. And these big guns in Hollywood really meant it.I think they love the Mumbai that they've seen in the film.
And Danny has made terrific use of my music. The way he has mixed my songs, they're full-on, like a discotheque.
Has Mumbai's image suffered a setback in the US after 26/11?
Everyone is a bit shaken. Security has been tightened even more in the US. That's what I was subjected to in every hotel that I went. Everyone has to be more careful. There's a little bit of negativity about what happened. But the way they look at India, our music and cinema is very positive.
You sound really upbeat.
The image of Mumbai is still intact. Slumdog Millionaire has promoted Mumbai tourism to a great extent. I don't think any city in the world has been portrayed as vibrantly as Mumbai. I got the right vibes in La.
A lot of people want to come to India to collaborate in our entertainment industry. Akon and Nelly Furtago are interested. We just have need carry it forward.
It was said you left suddenly for LA because of your dear friend's death?
I've to say the sudden death of my friend and my permanent sound recordist H. Sridhar (who died of a cardiac arrest on December 1) has been a big blow for me. He was a close friend and professional associate for twenty years.
He was not just a sound recordist but also a fantastic keyboards players. He revolutionalized song recording. Am I shattered? It's a personal and professional loss. But life goes on. It has to.
Yes,Life should go on and let's hope Rahman brings more glory to our Motherland.
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