A R Rahman Had a Close Shave With Death Due to An Accident During Oscar Rehearsals

Well and truly, Allah Rakha, Rahman!

In the nick of time: A R Rahman

While all the hoopla and euphoria surrounding A R Rahman's double Oscar has been talked about, no one knows that the composer had a close shave with death during the rehearsals for his stage performance for the Oscars. This came to light after Rahman's return to India yesterday.

Split-second move

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, the Jay Leno Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show; when a massive chandelier, covering a portion of the ceiling crashed on the spot a split second after I moved away."

Rahman recounts, "If I hadn't moved away, I'd have become history after making history in no time at all. The incident left me shaken but not terrified. I guess it was God's warning not to take any of the good things happening to me too seriously."

Rude reminder

Sighing in relief Rahman says, "As I walked from the left side of the stage to the right I could feel a heavy drop from the air, like water rushing down from a height of 30 to 40 feet. So with the good came the rude reminder of how quickly it can all be snatched away."

Says Rahman, "When I did Oprah Winfrey's show for the Oscars, she asked me what Jai Ho meant. I said it meant, 'May victory be yours.' She wished the same back for me and I could see she meant it. It's the best wishes the world over that saved my life that day."

Little Rubina's (Lathika of Slumdog Millionaire) Biological Mother Tries to Snatch Her Away

It should have been a joyous occasion for Rubina Ali. She'd just returned home after having the time of her life in the US after the commercial and Oscar success of Slumdog Millionaire and she is famous as the film's little Latika. But when she reached home at the Garib Nagar slum in Bandra, her biological mother (circled in the below Photograph) tried to snatch her away. Rubina's parents are divorced and both have since remarried. But Rubina stays with her father and stepmother. The little girl started crying, saying she wanted to stay with her father. After some time, her mother left screaming abuses.

Picture: Rubina Returs Home TO Mumbai

Picture: Rubina's biological mother (circled) tries to snatch her away

The girl saying she wanted to stay with her father

Freida Pinto On The Cover Of Cosmopolitan and Vogue (March 2009 Issue)

After being on practically every magazine cover this last month, The Slumdog Millionaire girl now makes it to two more — Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Check it out.

Freida Pinto On Cosmopolitan India Magazine Cover

Freida Pinto On Vogue Magazine Cover

Music Maestro AR Rahman, Returned To His Home City Chennai After The Oscars

Music maestro A R Rahman, the first Indian to win two Oscars, returned to his home city of Chennai to a rousing welcome by his fans and friends in the wee hours of today.

Pictures: A R Rahman is escorted out by policemen as he arrives at Chennai airport after receiving two Oscars, for best original score and best song, for Slumdog Millionaire.

Rahman (43), who won the Oscars for Best Original Score and Best Song for his compositions in Slumdog Millionaire at the 81st Academy Awards, arrived in Chennai from London by an Emirates Airways flight at around 2.30 am.

A large number of people, who waited at the airport for the 'Mozart of Madras', cheered as he emerged out of the international terminal to the beats of drum specialist Sivamani and his troupe.

Kerala's "Kottu Melam" (percussion instrument) artists gave a performance on behalf of the Indian Airlines.

On behalf of the state government, Tamil Nadu Information Minister Parithi Ilamvazhuthi received Rahman with a bouquet at the airport terminal.

A visibly happy Rahman waved at the crowd acknowledging their support before leaving for his home. Rahman was born in a musically affluent family in Chennai on January 6, 1966.

The Boy From The Backwaters of Kerala Resul Pookutty Makes History By Winning Oscar For Best Sound Mixing For Slumdog Millionaire

THE SOUND OF GLORY

Who would've thought that the boy from the backwaters of Kerala, from a village that only got electricity ten years ago, would make history at the Oscars? 36-year-old Resul Pookutty is the first Indian to bag the best sound mixing Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire.

Resul is in a state of disbelief as he is swamped with congratulatory messages from the likes of Angelina Jolie and sound mixers for The Dark Knight and Wall E. "It feels like I've gone from Black to black-out," Resul jokes about his work for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black. "I can't believe that a boy from the backwaters of Kerala is today holding the most coveted statuette. I'm a holding a piece of history in my hand and I'm so glad to have made my country proud."

Resul's story could make for a riveting potboiler, as we discover on a trip to his village. It's the rise of young talent from Vilakkupara, a small village near Anchal in Kollam district of Kerala. Resul's father Pookutty was a ticket checker with a private bus company. He struggled to make ends meet. There were times when Resul gave tuitions to pay his fees. He sold his watch once to pay for his education, recalled his brother Baiju Pookutty. Resul was the youngest of eight children. He studied in Ayilara Lower Primary School and Anchal High school before moving to Kayamkulam MSM College, where he graduated in Physics before he moved to Mumbai.

Resul is the toast of the town. The people of Vilakkupara, a village with a population of around 10,000, which got an electricity connection only 10 years ago, were very confident that he would win an Oscar. People had gathered in front of Resul's house as early as 5.30 am on Monday. His family had installed a television set in front of their house so that the whole village could watch him receive the Oscar.

The gathered crowd heard Resul's name being announced and there was a burst of jubilation. Tears of joy rolled down Resul's sisters' eyes. Crackers were burst and sweets were distributed as the villagers prepared themselves for weeks of celebration.

VIP and VVIP's started streaming to the house to share their joy. Political leaders, from the local panchayat president to MLAs and Kerala ministers, landed in Vilakkupara. The local people call the Academy Award and BAFTA award-winning Indian film sound designer, Biju. Only recently, they discovered that Biju has another name, Resul Pookutty.

“We knew he would win this award,”said the district congress committee member K Daniel. And a spectacular win it was!

On Monday morning from the Oscars venue in LA, trying to make himself heard above the din of cinema's glitterati, Resul gushes, "I'm watching the best and most glamorous talent from American and the world cinema passing by. I can't believe I'm here with my wife. Our kids are in Mumbai and they saw their father getting the Oscar. It's a moment of pride that my family will treasure forever."

Resul adds, "The response to an Indian winning a technical award at the Oscars is so encouraging. For decades, we Indian technicians have been fighting to be seen and heard in Indian cinema, using old equipment and dodging the belief that the more visible aspects of cinema (like the actors) are all that counts. I'm so glad to see the technical aspect of filmmaking come into its own."

Resul plans to return to India on Tuesday to be with his family. "I need to share this little beauty with everyone out there. It doesn't belong only to me. After that, I'll see where this new turn in my destiny takes me."

Resul made his debut in sound design with the 1998 film Private Detective: Two Plus Two Plus One directed by Rajat Kapoor. He got his big break with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black in 2005. He also engineered sound for major productions like Musafir (2004), Zinda (2006), Traffic Signal (2007), Gandhi, My Father (2007), Saawariya (2007) and Dus Kahaniyaan (2007).

Why Gulzar and Sukhwinder Singh Were Missing At The Oscars

The Jai Ho stars failed to receive official letters from the Oscar Committee at the nth minute and could not attend the much-awaited function…

As India was still celebrating the success of Jai Ho, India’s bona fide contribution to the British production Slumdog Millionaire, two of its key participants, singer Sukhvinder Singh and lyricist Gulzar, found themselves watching the event unfold on television, miles away from Los Angeles where they were meant to be. The irony is sharper for Singh, who was supposed to perform live along with AR Rahman at the 81st Academy Awards ceremony at Kodak Theatre. The singer and lyricist could not make it to the event because their paperwork was botched. Their absence has raised quite a few eyebrows in the music industry.

A reliable source close to the singer said, “Sukhwinder was charged up and was looking forward to the live performance at the Oscar event. Rahman had worked out an updated version of Jai Ho and the two were to sing the new version at the event.”

However, Sukhwinder was surprised to learn that he had not received the official work permit letter from the Oscar authorities. “A work permit letter is required because Sukhwinder was to perform there. Sukhwinder had even completed all the formalities, sending across a photocopy of his passport along with the required important documents. But somebody goofed up.” Whether the balls-up came from Rahman’s end or Foxlight Productions is still a mystery.

Sukhwinder has some esteemed shoulders to cry on. Gulzar too failed to receive an official letter from the Oscar committee. “Gulzar was looking forward to the event too, but missed it because no letter came.”

Sukhwinder, when contacted, confirmed that attending and performing at the Oscar night remained a dream. “Yes it is true that I did not receive any official intimation from there and therefore I could not make it to the event. I don’t know what went wrong. Rahman and I are like brothers and he is not responsible for this. In fact, he was the one who insisted on my performance at the event. Somewhere, someone must have goofed up but I don’t know who is responsible for it.”

Gulzar remained unavailable for comment. Composed by AR Rahman and penned by lyricist Gulzar, the song Jai Ho won the Oscar in the Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score category.

AR Rahman Talks About His Haul of Two Oscars For Slumdog Millionaire

AR Rahman with his haul of two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire raises the bar for excellence

The name A R Rahman has become a chant by now in America, and the reticent musician is clearly elated. “I am very excited, it (the evening of the 81st Academy Awards) has been a lovely amalgamation of Indian and American people. The love and response that we have received has been immense.”

Was he expecting to win?
“I was expecting nothing, I had no expectations at all. There had been speculation here that we would not receive the award as the music is very Indian. So I was completely engrossed and concentrating on the performance. When I got the first award I went numb. On receiving the second award I realised the impact. I feel that that this can be seen as a bridge or a starting point for India. People have an aversion to different cultures. That this film has been so hugely accepted by the Americans is a great crossover.”

“It totally felt like it was an Indian evening, with the Americans watching it. I loved the way the kids came and we all started crying in the end.”

Speaking about the song which gave him his second Oscar in one night, he says, “Jai ho! Each and every word that is spoken has power. Jai ho has a very positive and powerful vibration — a word that defines ambition, the action of life. Subhash Ghai gave me an idea that just as the film professed destiny to be a miracle, this was in our destiny indeed. It was written in the stars.”

“It was fun having my mother here. I was not scared. I don’t like to make music with any expectation because that leads to corruption.”

The deeply-religious Rahman who only composes in the night is very clear about staying away from any corrupting influence. Recalls film critic and film director Khalid Mohamad: ”Once while recording for Zubeida, Farooq Ratansey, Shyam Benegal and I went to Rahman’s studio late at night. I had had my share of wine and Shyam had a few pegs of whisky before going to the studio. We had no idea that Rahman frowned upon drinking or smoking. As soon as we got in Rahman sniffed the air and asked, ‘What have you had?’ His tone was dead serious. He made dear old Benegal go out with a glass of water to rinse his mouth and only then was he allowed inside.”

CELEBRATION IN CHENNAI

Rahman’s world in Chennai is very different from the hoopla of the Oscars. At his K M Music Conservatory in Kodambakkam, the atmosphere is like that of a place of learning. And there’s only one guru. R Ranjit, 23, an A R Rahman fan, a sound engineer in the making and who was among the many fans lined up at Rahman’s sister’s house in Valasaravakkam in Chennai, believes the Academy award came too late in the day.

Raihana, Rahman’s elder sister and a singer herself, says, “The whole of India had prayed for Rahman to get this award, and he did.”

At the school where Rahman visits his disciples once a month, listening to them play, the students had organised a giant screen and had all woken up at 6 am to watch the award ceremony. “We are ecstatic,” says Jai, 26, who is undergoing a foundation course in piano at the conservatory. Rahman’s family sent payasam (kheer) for the students and staff.

T Kalaimagan, who is doing a preparatory course in the conservatory, was still blissed out from the lingual connect. “Ellapugazhum Iraivanukkae’’ (All Glory to God) uttered by Rahman are the first Tamil words spoken by anyone in the history of the Academy Awards.” That’s typical Rahman says friend of over 30 years Bharatbala, with whom Rahman has worked on several projects. “The way he spoke in Tamil at the Oscars speaks volumes of his humbleness.”

A R Rahman at The Oscars With His Awards and Performance (View Pictures)

A R Rahman today became the first Indian to win two Oscars for his scintillating music in "Slumdog Millionaire” which swept the Academy awards

Pictures

Alicia Keys presents the Academy Award to composer AR Rahman.

A R Rahman giving his acceptance speech after winning his 2 Oscars.

A.R. Rahman holds up his Oscars for best original song and best original score for "Slumdog Millionaire" backstage at the 81st Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, February 22, 2009.

A R Rahman's performance at the Oscars, complete with Bollywood music and dance, became the highlight of the star-studded event, enthralling Hollywood bigwigs in attendance at the 81st Annual Academy Awards.

Oscar Awards 2009, View Pictures From the Ceremony

Images: Reuters

Slumdog Millionaire Wins 8 Oscars

Best Picture: Slumdog Millionaire

Best Direction: Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Original Song: A R Rahman and Gulzar

Best Original Score: A R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Sound Mixing: Resul Pookutty wins for Slumdog Millionaire

Best Film Editing: Slumdog Millionaire

Adapted Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire

Cinematography: Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire

List of Winners at Oscar Awards 2009

Following is a complete list of winners at the 81st annual Academy Awards, held in Hollywood on Sunday.

BEST PICTURE

Slumdog Millionaire (Fox Searchlight)

LEAD ACTOR

Sean Penn in Milk

LEAD ACTRESS

Kate Winslet in The Reader

DIRECTOR

Danny Boyle for Slumdog Millionaire

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM

Departures — Japan

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Penelope Cruz in Vicky Cristina Barcelona

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Dustin Lance Black for Milk

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Simon Beaufoy for Slumdog Millionaire

ANIMATED FEATURE

Andrew Stanton for WALL-E

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Kunio Kato for La Maison en Petits Cubes

ART DIRECTION

Donald Graham Burt for art direction and Victor J. Zolfo for set decoration on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

COSTUME DESIGN

Michael O'Connor for The Duchess

MAKEUP

Greg Cannom for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Anthony Dod Mantle for Slumdog Millionaire

LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

Jochen Alexander Freydank for Spielzeugland(Toyland)

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

James Marsh and Simon Chinn for Man on Wire

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Megan Mylan for Smile Pinki

VISUAL EFFECTS

Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

SOUND EDITING

Richard King for The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING

Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire

FILM EDITING

Chris Dickens for Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCORE

A R Rahman for Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SONG

Jai Ho from Slumdog Millionaire, music by A R Rahman, lyrics by Gulzar

Freida Pinto's Engagement Pictures With Rohan Antao

Photographs From the engagement ceremony of Freida Pinto and Rohan Antao

Freida Pinto and Rohan Antao Party With Friends