AR Rahman in Billboard Hot 100 Singles

As the Pop stars running the show of late it seems that the classical guys will have a tough time ahead. But the master musician – Dr. AR Rahman had other ideas.

Following his double win at the Oscars, the entire Indian music scene has been put on the international map of tunes.

However, the best part is that Rahman has been voted as the first Indian musician to be listed among the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles. This recognition comes after the recent release of the Pussycat Dolls version of his Oscar-winning song 'Jai Ho' which quickly moved the single from number 100 to number 15 on the charts, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Well, with this recent development all one can just say is “Jai Ho”.

UK Asian Music Award to AR Rahman

A R Rahman, the Double Oscar winner musician has been honoured with the B4U Outstanding Achievement trophy at the UK Aisan Music Awards 2009.

A R Rahman was honoured with UK Aisan Music Award for taking Asian music to the global platform.

Rahman recently won two Oscars, one BAFTA and a Golden Globe award for his music in the film Slumdog Millionaire. Now UK Aisan Music Award has come to his honour.

The UK Asian Music Awards recognise the achievements of Asians in the field of music.

The award ceremony was hosted at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

A R Rahman in Billboard Hot 100 Singles

Jai Ho- is the tune that most Indians are singing after the recent culmination of the Oscars. Ever since the musical genius A R Rahman made double win at the Oscars, the entire Indian music scene has been put on the international map of tunes.

Though Rahman has been felicitated by the industrywallas, how many of the commoners have heard of him? This was the exact question that has been answered with the recent announcement of the Billboard Hot 100 list of songs. The musical maestro made another first as he was voted as the first Indian musician to be listed at the 15th place of the Billboard Hot 100 Singles.

This comes after the recent release of the A R Rahman & The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Nicole Scherzinger. This has quickly moved the single from 100th place to 15th place on the Billboard charts.

Brand Value of A R Rahman rises to Rs 10 crore

The Oscar win for sure has given A R Rahman a global platform for his music. And not only this, he has also shot up his market price to a throbbing Rs 10 crore.

According to reports, A R Rahman has recently bagged an endorsement from Apple worth Rs 10 crore. It is believed that Rahman is being offered the same amount by a lot of international firms, making him the most sought-after celebrity in the ad world.

There is also great speculation about Rahman bagging big offers from American MNCs and Rahman is expected to close the deals on his forthcoming trip to LA.

People close to Rahman suggest that he has definitely refused to accept a few offers too as he didn’t feel good for those brands. And this will definitely help him to maintain his brand value.

Jai Ho- becomes Political Campaign Song

As the Elections are nearing up, the battle for votes is heating up and up. For every election political figures keep turning to the famous filmi folk to lend support to their campaign. However, this time, the Films-Politics connection has gone to a new level altogether.

With the recent sweep at the Oscars and the final rise to fame by music maestro A.R. Rahman, the song- Jai Ho -from Slumdog Millionaire has become a global hit. And just recently, Congress has officially acquired the rights to use the song for their election campaign.

The cartoonist Satish Acharya gives here a funny take on how the political party might want to alter the song to push their leader with their campaign. Something which is a challenge for even the Oscar winner Rahman, looking at the stunted expression of his caricature.

Over and all, it can be said that films always help gain publicity, even for the politicians.

After Oscar its Dr A R Rahman

Music maestro A R Rahman is amidst very good times. It is raining awards, honours and recognitions for him.

After bagging 2 Oscars for magical music in Slumdog Millionaire, now A R Rahman will be honoured a Doctorate by Anna University, Chennai for his overall achievements. Anna University will bestow A R Rahman, a Doctorate of Media Sciences with a Ph.D. during its forthcoming special convocation. Usually it is the politicians and film stars who are felicitated with the doctorates degree but now this degree will be conferred upon a musician for the soothing and healing touch his music provides.

Apart from A R Rahman, space scientist Mayilsamy Annadurai and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin will also be awarded the doctorates at the convocation. The special convocation is scheduled for March-end.

A R Rahman escapes death

A R Rahman’s double Oscar is the talk of the movement. But none know that he just escaped death during the rehearsals for his stage performance for the Oscars.

This close encounter with death was revealed by Rahman after he returned to India on Thursday and blurted out the truth innocently. The accident could have proved fatal and could have ended A R Rahman’s Life.

“I really don’t know what happened. Two days before the Oscars we were rehearsing at one of the theatres for the Oscars, when a massive chandelier covering portion of the ceiling crashed to the spot just a split-second after I moved away,” recalls Rahman.

It seems as if god’s blessing has saved Rahman else he would have been history.

A R Rahman escapes death in LA

A R Rahman’s double Oscar has been the talk of the movement of late. But little did people know that he just escaped death during the rehearsals for his stage performance for the Oscars.

The shocking shave with death caught attention after Rahman return to India on Thursday and blurted out the truth innocently. The accident could have proved dangerous and could have spelt death for Rahman.

Recalling the nerve-wracking experience Rahman says, “I really don’t know what happened. Two days before the Oscars we were rehearsing at one of the theatres for the Oscars, when a massive chandelier covering portion of the ceiling crashed to the spot just a split-second after I moved away.”

It seems as if god is on his side else Rahman could have been history.

Kylie Minogue to sing for A R Rahman

A.R.Rahman is on a all time high. He is all set to entertain the listeners by having Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue to sing for his forthcoming film Blue. This film also stars Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Zayed Khan along with Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta.

Blue is said to be India's first 'official' underwater film. But that’s not all, the sensational Kylie lending her magically mystical voice to not one but two of the songs in the film just add to the thrill of the movie. While one of the songs is a duet with the supremely talented Sonu Nigam, the other is a solo number for the promotional video of the film.

The duet track with Sonu Nigam is unique as while Sonu recorded the song in Mumbai, Kylie recorded the same in London. This magical fusion was made possible by the musical maestro A.R.Rahman. The latest news is that Kylie will be shooting for the duet song with Akshay Kumar while gyrating to ace choreographer Farah Khan's dancing instructions.

It really seems like the makers of this film are leaving no stone unturned to give the film a truly international feel.

A R Rahman - The First Indian Oscar Winner

A.R. Rahman holds the Oscars for best original score and for best original song "Jai Ho" for his work on "Slumdog Millionaire" during the 81st Academy Awards Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles.

...and A. R. Rahman made all of us feel proud.

Jai Ho...

A R Rahman on cover of People

Slumdog Millionaire has been in headlines for the number of Oscar nominations and the Golden Globes that it has won. But, one individual associated with this film has been blessed with success at every step that he took in his career. He has not once taken it for granted; instead he has worked even harder to outdo himself. The person we are talking about is none other than A R Rahman.

People magazine brings musician A.R. Rahman as its exclusive cover this month. The soft-spoken maestro attributes his success as much to his tremendous talent as having “ethics, commitment, passion and friendship”. After taking the international stage by storm with his score for Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman is now intent on cementing his reputation further.

Though Slumdog Millionaire is a Hollywood film that won him international acclaim (the Golden Globe and Oscar nominations), Rahman says that it is the victory of the Indian music. “My win is a win for Indian music. And I want to bring India more and more recognition in the field of music.”

And now though the world is at his feet, for Rahman family comes first. “It is too exhausting to have many films on hand. We all need a personal life. I need to spend quality time with my family.”

Movie Review of Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire – One of the most talked about movie of today is simply an out an out entertainer with the golden touch of reality. It is a story about a teenager Jamal, who has been taught by life answers to just the questions that are hurled at him at the game show. He answers all 14 questions right,” but is been arrested on suspicion of cheating.
In his attempt to explain how he knew all of the answers, Jamal is forced to recall the sometimes painful memories from his childhood. And through a series of flashbacks the secrets of Jamal’s life unfolds, filled with hardships, a tough relationship with his brother Salim and his unwavering love for his childhood friend Latika. Apart from the hardship shown one can also take a note of Slumdog being one of the sweetest love stories with all the thrills possible.
The film is told through a series of flashbacks linking the jailed Jamal in the present with the hardships of his past. While Jamal’s love for Latika remains the center of the story throughout, the film never strays away from giving big helpings of reality and gut-wrentching drama. It is fluffy, somewhat implausible love story in one moment and real world tragedy in the next, keeping its audience engaged at every turn.

The film sees some spellbinding performances. It's not just Dev Patel, who plays the oldest avatar of Jamal, but also the other kids who play the younger versions of Jamal and Salim have done an excellent job. Anil Kapoor is just perfect as the crooked superstar and host of the show. Irrfan Khan radiates excellence too. Freida Pinto and Madhur Mittal – the oldest versions of Latika and Salim respectively, hardly have much screen space. But they are good in the small roles.

Danny Boyle the director has the perfect vision for how to deliver this story unto the screen. He displays an amazing feel for environment as character, Boyle delivers what his fans have come to expect which is throbbing music, jaunty editing, showy cinematography and when necessary, a delicate touch for the intimate moments. Technically, Slumdog Millionaire has got some of the most innovative camera work in recent times. The film's editor too deserves praises. And of course, the music by AR Rahman deserves all the praise that he has garnered.

Overall, it is really hard to find a fault in Slumdog Millionaire. This is definitely Danny Boyle's most competent job till this date. It definitely deserves every Oscar nomination it has bagged and stands to win some too.

A R Rahman bags Golden Globe Award

Bollywood music director A.R. Rahman became 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.

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.

The international recognition that Rahman has earned for himself makes every Indian proud.

"Slumdog Millionaire" bagged four Golden Globe Awards. Apart from Rahman, the movie won the awards for best motion picture, best screenplay(Simon Beaufoy) and best director (Danny Boyle).

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

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

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

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

Ghajini is a Perfect Blockbuster

Ghajini is an out and out revenge saga But there is a slight twist to the tale. The director has very cleverly tried to mix the revenge story with a soft romance between the two protagonists, Sanjay Singhaniaplayed by Aamir Khan and Kalpana played by Asin.

Sanjay is a very flourishing business tycoon. One day, in order to promote his venture, he decides to display a board on Kalpana's roof top. But Kalpana doesent allow it to be done. But her commercial director overhears the conversation and presumes that Asin has refused Sanjay's love offer. Here comes the romantic touch. He pursuades her to accept the offer and slowly romance blossoms between Kalpana and Sanjay. But all of a sudden Kalpana is muddered. The violent murder of his girlfriend sets off an acute short term memory loss in Sanjay. But he fights with the circumstances. He works around the handicap to reach her murderers is the rest of the story.

Hindi movies have often depicted people suffering from memory loss, but in Ghajini the protagonist recalls events only for 15 minutes. And the manner in which he works to regain his memory has been depicted meticulously and very differently. He keeps writing the time, name and dates of clues about the killers as when he remembers them. He also carries a Polaroid to keep him updated in case he forgets.

Performance wise, this is completely an Aamir Khan movie. He has done a brilliant job as usual. He hardly talks. It's his facial expressions and body language that do all the talking. His leading lady Asin has put up a sterling performance, so has the villain, Pradeep Singh Rawat. Ravi Chandran's cinematography is excellent and AR Rahman's music is top-notch.

The film is three hours long and each scene of the film is so gripping that never once do we feel bored. The story has been told in such a novel way with so many twists and turns that it keeps the audiences on the edge of their seats guessing what up next. Director AR Murugadoss has tried to de-route Ghajini when compared to the Tamil version. The climax is different from the original. He cleverly weaves in the past and the present.

All in all Ghajini is a refreshing change. The film does not have a happy ending as both lovers do not get united in the end. Although this concept has never been approved by the Indian audiences, but Ghajini is sure to change that for the sheer brilliance of the movie. To sum up, Ghajini has everything to turn it a blockbuster hit.

A.R. Rahman Composes Theme Song for Champions League

This has really been a rocking year for all A.R.Rahman fans. The music maestro gave some really different, catchy and foot-tapping music in films like Jodhaa Akbar, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and the soon to be released Yuvvraaj. Before the year comes to a close Rahman will also unveil the musical score of Aamir Khan starrer Ghajini.

However it's not only film compositions. A.R.Rahman has also composed the theme song for the Champions League Twenty 20 Cricket tournament. This would be the first time that the music maestro has composed the theme song for any major sports tournament. The theme song doesn't have any lyrics but only chants accompanied by Rahman's foot-tapping composition.

So now all Rahmaniacs, there is one more strong reason to tune into this cricketing extravaganza when it kicks off on Dec 3rd this year.

IIFA honours Rahman with the Best Music Director Award

A.R. Rahman was named the best music director for his score in "Guru" at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) 2008 awards here Sunday night, while the Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Om Shanti Om" swept a number of technical awards.

Shreya Ghoshal won the honours for the best playback singer (female) for "Barso re" from Mani Ratnam's "Guru", which film also bagged awards for the best background score (Rahman) and best song recording (H. Sridhar).

The best playback singer (male) award was bagged by Shaan for "Jab se tere naina" from "Saawariya".

Veteran Javed Akhtar was named the best lyricist for "Om Shanti Om", which also garnered awards for best special effects (Red Chillies Entertainment), best art direction (Sabu Cyril), best costume design (Manish Malhotra, Karan Johar and Sanjeev Mulchandani) and best makeup.

The award for best screenplay was won jointly by Anurag Basu ("Life in a Metro") and Jaideep Sahni ("Chak De! India").

"Chak De! India" also took home the trophy for best cinematography.

Imtiyaz Ali was named the best dialogue writer for "Jab We Met".

A R Rahman to set up Music Conservatory

Music director AR Rahman is planning to set up a state-of-the-art music conservatory called KM Music Conservatory in Chennai to create a 'world-class orchestra' that could score music for Indian composers and to train students in vocal as well as instrumental music.

Announcing the KM Music Conservatory and KM Music Symphony Orchestra Synthesizers, Rahman said, "Electronic sounds played a significant role in the evolution of music in the 80s and 90s. As this fresh sound captivated listeners, they began to lose appreciation and interest in live classical compositions. Should this continue, future generations will be deprived of the joy that is live classical music."

The KM Music Conservatory is an attempt to recreate a world-class orchestra for the enjoyment of India's people. Currently, Indian composers have to go abroad to find orchestras to record. KM Music Conservatory aims to eliminate this obstacle and provide orchestra in India.

"I feel, as a modern classical musician, having the knowledge of both music performance and music technology is invaluable. Only having the skill to perform an instrument may not necessarily be lucrative, however having that skill as well as excellent music production capabilities will ensure many more career opportunities and financial security. That way they learn to use the best of both worlds," added Rahman.

The KM Music Conservatory and Audio Media Education, India 's first Apple authorized training centre located in Chennai, will be offering a program in music and music technology. The conservatory faculty will include Indian and international professors and musicians who will educate students in Indian and western classical music.

The school will currently be auditioning and accepting singers and students who play flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and percussion. Courses will include western vocal and instrumental performance, Indian classical vocal, western and Indian music theory, music appreciation, ear training, piano, audio engineering, an Apple certified course in Logic Pro, and a Digidesign certified course in Pro Tools.

Scholarships will be offered to deserving students from the A R Rahman Foundation. Students can also audition for the professional KM Music Symphony Orchestra upon completion of the program.