We are very proud of Rahman

Bollywood music director A.R. Rahman has become the first Indian to win the Golden Globe Award, for best original musical score in Danny Boyle's movie "Slumdog Millionaire". The honour bestowed on the maestro has brought much cheer to the Indian film industry.

"The Golden Globe is a coveted award and it is a rare honour for an Indian music director. By winning it, competing with composers from around the world, Rahman has not only proved his worth, but has also conveyed to the world that, given a chance, an Indian music director can deservedly vie with any composer in the world," fellow composer Anu Malik told IANS.

Rahman won the prestigious award for his musical score in the song "Jai Ho", for which Gulzar penned the lyrics. The song is a typical Rahman number and the composer stuck to his signature style while composing it.

Sukhwinder Singh, who has sung the song, told IANS: "Rahman has churned out great songs even in the past but he did not get an award so I feel that he truly deserves this one. I am very happy for him and when he comes back to India, I will meet him. I'm sure he will definitely ask me, 'Are you happy?'. The song 'Jai Ho' is a very naughty and playful number; it has a good combination of poetry and music and and I enjoyed singing it."

"The international recognition that Rahman has earned for himself makes every Indian proud. He deserves it more than anybody else for his wholehearted dedication to music. It's a rare honour. I congratulate Rahman," said director Aziz Mirza.

"Slumdog Millionaire" bagged four Golden Globe awards. Apart from Rahman, the movie won the awards - considered a precursor to the Oscars - for best motion picture, best screenplay and best director.

That "Slumdog Millionaire" will sweep the Golden Globe Awards was a foregone conclusion after critics from around the world, Hollywood in particular, hailed the film.

Most Indians expected Rahman, known for scoring soul-stirring music in Bollywood and other Indian films, to emerge victorious. And that was exactly what happened Sunday night, making the 43-year-old music composer the first Indian to bag a Golden Globe.

"We are very proud of Rahman. He is an internationally recognised music genius and Golden Globes is a significant win for the music fraternity in India too. Though I haven't worked with him as much as others, I admire him from a distance," said singer Shaan.

"Rahman is truly the king. He is one of the finest composers in the 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," singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan said.

Based on Vikas Swarup's novel "Q & A", the film starring Dev Patel, Freida Pinto and Anil Kapoor, is releasing in India on January 23.

Rahman got his first big break in Mani Ratnam's "Roja" and later composed music for many films in southern India. His first full-fledged Bollywood project was Ram Gopal Varma's hit "Rangeela". Most of the songs, including "Tanha Tanha" and "Hai Rama" and "Yaaro sun lo Zara", were chartbusters. After that there was no looking back for him.

Later, Rahman became a name to reckon with through his soulful compositions in "Dil Se…", "1947 Earth", "Taal", "Lagaan", "Guru", "Rang De Basanti" and "Jodhaa Akbar".

Rahman not only won hearts in India, but also made a mark on the global music scene. He got his first international break when Andrew Lloyd Webber invited him to compose music for Broadway musical "Bombay Dreams", which won him immense international fame. He also composed for the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" that premiered in Canada in 2006 and in London in 2007.

Rahman launched his first full-fledged orchestra last year. It has been named 'Global Music' and is the first homegrown orchestra.

After winning the Golden Globe, Rahman is looking forward to bagging an Oscar for his soundtrack for "Slumdog Milloinaire".

"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," said Rahman, whose latest hit back home was "Ghajini".

He is all set to enthral his fans with his upcoming projects "Delhi-6" and "Blue".

Golden Globe for A R Rahman

Musical genius A R Rahman has created history by becoming the first Indian ever to win the coveted Golden Globe Award on Sunday night. The composer won the award for best Original Music Score for Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.

Rahman’s work in the track Jai Ho, penned by lyricist Gulzar, won him the award at the 66th Golden Globe Award in Los Angeles.

"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," he said while accepting the award.

It was a great night for Slumdog Millionaire as Danny Boyle walked away with the prize for Best Director.

Slumdog Millionaire is based on a novel by Indian diplomat Vikash Swarup and stars Bollywood actors Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan in lead among others.

The movie which has won numerous accolades abroad releases in India on January 23rd.

Rahman, 43, had also been named best composer at the Critics' Choice Awards in Los Angeles last week. The Golden Globe Awards are given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are often said to be mini Oscars as the winners at the Golden globe also walk away with the honours at the Oscars, the world's top movie awards given out in February by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

"I want to win Oscar for the people of India than for myself" - A.R. Rahman

A.R Rahman who turned 43 on Jan 6, has won The Golden Globe Award for his music in Slumdog Millionaire, the first Indian musician to do so. Bringing you excerpts from the interview he gave to Subhash K Jha 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 Golden Globe 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 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 Furtado are interested. We just have need to carry it forward.

A.R. Rahman is 43 today

When he started his career in the early 1990s, music maestro Alla Rakha Rahman wouldn't have thought his popularity will skyrocket to such an extent that budding as well as established musicians alike would swear by his name nearly two decades on.

Rahman, who turned 43 today (January 6), is an inspiration for many. For instance, acclaimed singer Sukhwinder Singh gives the credit of his success to the composer.

“Rahman has been a catalyst in my success because when everyone turned me down and ridiculed my song 'Thaiyan thaiyan', he was the only one to believe in me. With a few changes in lyrics, he gave me my first big success in the form of 'Chaiyyan chaiyyan'," Sukhwinder told IANS in an interview.

With 11 Filmfare Awards to his credit, Rahman has achieved the status of legend in the lives of upcoming singers who dream to work with the composer, at least once.

“Rahman can easily be termed as the living legend in Bollywood. He is one of the few people who made Indian music popular internationally. It will be a dream come true if I get an opportunity to work with him,” said Abhijeet Sawant, who won the first season of musical reality show "Indian Idol".

Said Harshit Saxena, runner-up of "Amul Star Voice of India": “Rahman always does an excellent job. Everybody has a dream to work with him, and being a great fan of his, I possess the same.”

The musician got his first big break in Mani Ratnam's "Roja" and later Rahman composed for many films in the south. The film was dubbed in Hindi and the songs like "Dil hai chota sa", came as a whiff of fresh air for music lovers who wanted more from this musical genius.

Rahman's first full-fledged Bollywood project was Ram Gopal Varma's hit "Rangeela". Most of the songs, including "Tanha Tanha" and "Hai Rama" and "Yaaro sun lo Zara", were chartbusters. After that there was no looking back for him.

Later, Rahman became a name to reckon with through his soulful compositions in "Dil Se…", "1947 Earth", "Taal", "Lagaan", "Guru", "Rang De Basanti", "Jodhaa Akbar" and the recently released "Ghajini".

Rahman not only won hearts in India, but also made a mark on the global music scene. In 2001, Andrew Lloyd Webber invited Rahman to compose music for Broadway musical "Bombay Dreams", which won him immense international fame. He also composed for the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" that premiered in Canada in 2006 and in London in 2007.

Winner of numerous prestigious awards, Rahman has recently been nominated for the Golden Globe Awards for his score in "Slumdog Millionaire".

So what is in Rahman's music that clicks so well with audiences the world over?

“Rahman's music spells magic. We actually wait for his albums. You can see his soul, hard work and dedication in his songs. He never compromises with his style, which is so distinct,” shared Prajakta Shukre, a finalist of "Indian Idol 1", who is currently singing for regional films.

Abhijeet Sawant added: “Rahman has never gone with formula music and is on a different level altogether. A calm and soft individual, he has a very different vision. His music is never dictated by popular demand. He always experiments and that is what people like about him.”

With his upcoming projects “Delhi-6” and “Blue”, Rahman's fans will have no dearth of good music to hear and hum.