Normally right after freshening up in the morning,Ravs switches on the TV and heads to the news channel.And I head to the kitchen to make tea(yes,yes I can be a dutiful wife too).
But today both of us were wonderstruck at what was being flashed on practically all the Indian news channels.And fleetingly on BBC and CNN too.I was just a wee bit short of giving an expression that Sushmita Sen gave when she was adjudged Miss Universe!
This was truly a moment of pride to me as an Indian,more precisely a south Indian.Yes,A R Rehman had been honoured with a Golden Globe for his original score in Slumdog Millionaire.Much deservedly so.
I saw the movie a couple of weeks back.And I loved it.Unfortunately I couldnt see the movie in full.I was constantly interrupted by my daughter who at that point in time suddenly realised her love for her Amma was at its peak and she had to have her Amma beside her hugging &kissing her,playing with her,running around her,talking to her.And if she sensed Amma was not budging,she went and spilled her milk or juice,scattered all her toys,not just in her room but the entire house,scribbled endlessly on the walls or simply doing shushu or poopi right there on the floor!Ultimately Amma had to get up and attend to her.
Coming back to AR Rehman,I’ve always been an ardent admirer of his music.Right from his Roja days to date.The more he got adept at his work of art with songs like ‘Kaadal Rojaave’from Roja or ‘Kannalane’ from Bombay or ‘Anjali Anjali’ from Duet or ‘Radha kaise na Jale’ from Lagaan or ‘Shakalaka Baby’ from Bombay Dreams or more recently ‘Khalabali’ from Rang De Basanti or ‘Pappu cant Dance Saala’ from Jaane tu Ya Jaane Na or the award winning ‘Jai Ho’ from Slumdog Millionaire,the humbler he became.
Even now when he won the coveted award,AR Rehman,a man of few words and so full of music,very courteously thanked all his musicians from Chennai.This gesture proves that as much as he is a musician par excellence,he is a wonderful human being.And I am honoured to have born in the same country as he.
Heartiest Congratulations to you,Mr A R Rehman!May you soar even greater heights in all your future endeavours.
Perceptions 
India’s the best music composer.
Claps !!!
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Yes, a proud moment indeed and I love his old films most.You must listen to Pudhiya Mukham…and then yes, Duet, is also my fav…
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@Hobo:yes indeed so!
@Sindhu:I will surely listen to Pudhiya Mukham.Thanks:)
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Earlier 10 years back, when my daughter became ardent fan of his, i was puzzled, but now even i love all his songs…ma tujhe salaam, even all the songs in Taal.And he seems to be an humble man inspite of so many accomplishments.
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hows slumdog millionaire?? i am not normally a great fan of AR rahman .. belong to the old school that thinks Illayaraja is GOD and the only GOD there is ..;-) .. i loved Roja, Anjali and tiruda tiruda.. remember chandralekha ?? recent favs have been kabhi kabhi aditi and munbe vaa.. otherwise i think he’s just lost his touch and churning our similar kind of stuff 😉
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A moment to be proud of. I am yet to watch Slumdog Millionaire!
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@Renu:Its possibly the very same qualities that lets AR Rehman belt out out such wonderful music.
@Bedazzled:The movie is very good.The only aspect that I couldnt agree with was how a boy from the slums of Mumbai could speak english with such impeccable accent:).But the movie in general is fantastic.Do try to watch when it hits the cinemas in india,i think on 23rd.
As for Illayaraja..he is a class apart.Even now I get goosebumps when I hear ‘Nilaave va’ from Mounaragam or ‘Kannai Kalaimaane’. Having said that I like AR Rehman’s style of music as much.He has this quality of belting out music which at first may not draw them towards you but as you hear them more and more they get you in the groove and you start humming them automatically:))
@Shail:Do watch the movie if u get a chance.Its worth a watch:).It is going to be in theatres there frm 23rd if I’m not wrong.
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It’s a great momemt for indian music and ARR proved modesty is his biggest strength.Heard the songs but yet to watch the movie. And kids are for that right 🙂 reminded me of my nephew who displays affection in public right when we are upto something critical.
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wow..3 cheers AR Rehman. I have to watch the movie now
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@Nautankey:Yes you are right.Its probably one of the keys to ARR’s success-his modesty.
Thanks for dropping by:)
@A:Do let know if you like the movie in case you do watch it..I’m certainly going to watch itagain:)
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Ah, but would he have won an award (even if with the same music), if it were not in a movie that celebrated Indian poverty and general condescending white superiority over the browns?
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🙂 Will come back to this later; but for now
Do visit here to pick up a something I have for you 🙂
thanks and congrats!
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@DIM:First of all I dont think the movie in any way celeberated Indian poverty.The movie could have been shot in any slum from any country for that matter,in this case it just happened to be Dharavi.In fact I feel this movie did put our country on a global platform like ‘Lagaan’ or even ‘Gandhi’.
Secondly,I believe music and film are totally seperate in regard with awards.ARR would have given music to any other movie with an entirely different subject and still have won the award.
Do you mean to say that ARR won the award BECAUSE it was a movie about a boy from the slums of India and NOT BECAUSE of his talent and expertise?If thats the case,then I beg to disagree,DIM.
But as they say,’to each his own’.Thanks for dropping by after so long:)
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Re: “I dont think the movie in any way celeberated Indian poverty.The movie could have been shot in any slum from any country for that matter,in this case it just happened to be Dharavi” – yes, as long as the slum is in a third world country. In this movie, it was an Indian slum. It could be any other country too, as long as the feeling of White superiority over the natives (savages?) could come shining through the movie.
“I feel this movie did put our country on a global platform like ‘Lagaan’ or even ‘Gandhi'” – but is that necessarily a good thing. Why should being noticed by a White audience (even if they might be making fun of the uncultured and uncouth Brown coolies) be such a great thing? Are we so inferior that we need the White masters to throw us a bone of approval, so we wag our tails in delight? And, this movie is not like Gandhi – where the protagonist was someone you look up to, and morally superior to the Whites.
“ARR won the award BECAUSE it was a movie about a boy from the slums of India and NOT BECAUSE of his talent and expertise” – Ah, you put it better than I did! Yes, that IS what I meant.
“Thanks for dropping by after so long” – Glad to be here.. 🙂
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Hi Deeps, long time no post… where are you?
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Hi Nitya,I was a bit tied up at home.Plus I had this never-ending post stuck in my drafts for ages.I was just not able to finish it.
How do you keep belting out posts after posts so frequently?Hats off to writers like you,N!
Anyhow I’ve at last managed to publish the post.Amidst the scornful eyes of my husband and constant demands for attention from my daughter!Yippie!!
Thanks so much for asking:))
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Right..! A wonder of a genius, and one that is so humble as you say!
Congratulations are in order, and hopefully now with Oscar Nominations, 3 of them to boot, we can hope for more colourful days for Him.
Best wishes to him, and prayers for his chances at winning the Oscars!
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oh yes,Usha..he so deserves to win an Oscar.I hope and pray he wins:)
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Just music alone doesn’t make a person great. ARR with his humbleness has won the hearts of all Indians. Ilayaraja on the contrary behave like ‘Kaattan’ many times and earns disrespect. Once when a reporter asked about his opinion about ARR’s music, he said that he has not heard his music. What a lie??
Now Kumudam reports that when ARR wanted to meet Ilayaraja to get his blessings before departing for Oscar awards, ‘Vayitrerichal Ilayaraja’ has declined meeting him saying he is busy. Whatever IR has achieved all these years went down the drain that moment.
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You’re so right,Sridhar.ARR has indeed won millions of hearts all over as much for his humbleness as for his musical expertise.
BTW,LOL on ‘vayitrerichal Ilayaraja’:)
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