AR Rahman meets the press
What a joy it is to look at those two shimmering statuettes in the hands of our musical maestro AR Rahman! He is a genius indeed, and two Oscar awards, were not necessary to prove it and yet we swell in pride at the very thought that he has competed and emerged winner in a global arena. He of course, is as calm and composed as ever, and it is in fact us who are clamouring in delight. So indeed when he returned homeward, the press was eager to catch a few words and the man was more than obliging. AR Rahman met with the press earlier this evening and shared with us his Oscar moments.
Slumdog Millionaire is what everyone was rooting for and the movie has won. Ask him what he thinks was the reason for the movie’s Himalyan victory and he smiles and suggests that it’s the relative newness of the cast, the crew, the screenplay and the music. Slumdog Millionaire is not exactly an Indian movie, but it is an Indian story, yet there are those who opine that had the movie been made by an Indian, it would have been rejected by the Academy because that has been the case in the past. Why do Indian movies fail to make the Oscar cut? It boils down to the sensibility issue – too much drama, too many song dance routines, and not enough impact, he says. Adding, that there is no bias when it comes to the Oscars – there is no such feeling that our movies are lowly and their’s a cut above. If they had anything against Indians how would he have won? Coming to that now…
There are many who feel that Jai Ho is not essentially one of his best. What does he feel? Again he takes the subtle criticism calmly and replies that on an international level, this probably proved more appealing and hence won him the award. And now that he has won the award, what does he have in mind for the children and the people living in such dire environments in the slums of India? The Slumdog Millionaire team is already working towards safeguarding the future of the kids who acted in the movie, and he himself promises to do his bit of charity. But on a lighter note, he adds that since the release of the movie, the slums portrayed in it have become important tourist attractions, and are bound to thrive because of that!
For many in the industry, an Oscar is the ultimate reward, and now that ARR has two in hand, what targets does he have for the future? None! Why? Because for him it’s not about the awards, it’s always been about the music – making good quality music. We hope he wins a few more Oscars, and like Kamal Haasan said, let’s hope that the rest of the Indian moviemakers live up to the standard that he has set. And like he sang out at the end of the meet, Jai Ho, so too, we cheer up at him and wish this humble compassionate being only the best things in life!
