India Masala
Bollywood and culture in an emerging India
Is ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ A.R.Rahman’s best score?
Waking up on a Monday morning is so much nicer when you wake up to good news, isn’t it?
A.R.Rahman winning two Grammys for “Slumdog Millionaire” certainly made my day, but as television channels played its theme song “Jai Ho” over and over again, I found myself wanting to hear some of his other compositions.
“Dil Hai Chota Sa” from “Roja” perhaps or “Naina Milaike” from “Saathiya”, “Ay Hairathe” from “Guru” and my favourite — “Arziyan” from “Delhi 6″.
While “Slumdog” and “Jai Ho” have captured the world’s imagination, I wonder if it is his best work.
When Rahman won the Oscar last year, I remember lyricist Gulzar telling me he thought Rahman’s music for Mani Ratnam’s upcoming film “Ravana” was his best.
And while I love the beats of “Jai Ho” and the haunting music of “Latika’s Theme” from the “Slumdog” album, they are not in my top five list of Rahman songs.
But then, how often is it that an artiste wins awards for his or her best work. Director Martin Scorsese won his first Oscar for “The Departed” which is not considered his best work. And just last year, Kate Winslet took home the best actress trophy for “The Reader” but many critics say she deserved it more for “Revolutionary Road”.
‘Slumdog’ magic rubs off on India abroad
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Bollywood and Indian culture is getting plenty of attention worldwide — thanks to the “Slumdog Millionaire” effect.
Danny Boyle’s rags-to-riches romance about a poor Indian boy competing in a TV game show scooped eight Academy Awards earlier this year.
The film’s global box-office success brought its relatively unknown young stars on the global stage (with lead actress Freida Pinto slated to star in Woody Allen’s next project).
In the U.S., Bollywood’s arc of influence is creating thriving ancillary industries and garnering buzz for the likes of celebrity stylist Shalini Vadhera.
The Los Angeles entrepreneur, with her Global Goddess beauty products, sits atop a business that brings in a million dollars annually.
“I always feel like Obama winning for the African Americans is ‘Slumdog’ winning for us as Indian Americans and South Asians was fantastic,” she says.
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The Wall
Shilpa, at the risk of getting beaten up by Rahman fans, I do not even think AR Rahman is India’s best talent. He is very very talented, yes. He stands out especially when compared to a mass of very average performers in a over-competitive industry. Who are we comparing Rahman to, SD Burman? Naushad? If these award committees ever cared to research Indian music deeply or seen beyond India’s beaten-to-death poverty, they’d be in for a shock. So, to answer your question, no, Jai Ho is at best a pop song, a very poor one at that.