hey i am sorry guys/gals, i couldnt mail the details of my meeting him. actually i shifted my house and hence no internet at home and office was also closed.
on 21st night my friend called me that ARR is coming the next morning and she was very sorry as she couldnt arrange any invitation for me. i was bewildered and couldnt decide on what to do. then the first thing i did i messaged my fried at pune asking what i should do. he said 'go there, take a chance and you could be lucky', and i was also thinking the same, his message put me alive again and i decided to go to oberoi no matter if the hotel authority doesnt allow me to enter. i had one advantage that i had earlier written about the Oberoi, so virtually i knew almost every pros and cons of the hotel. as my friend said, i went there, signed and entered. waiting for him to come gave me an out of the world experience. suddenly, i just turned around, and oh my god, i saw him coming. i almost sopped breathing. i was sitting in the fourth row and he sat on the first row. then as usual the photographers went crazy taking pictures. it was the occasion of releasing 'Pray For me, Brother' video and it's such an amazing video, he was looking extremely stylish and cool with sunglasses. then he went to the mike describing the theme and story behind it. he is so humorous, he even cracked a joke there. since the video is shot in vertical cinema scope format, he said that ' I look taller here' and smiled. the photographers asked for photo shoot and asked him to take the nokia phone and pose. he said that he is not there to endorse the hand set, still they insisted and the he gave the pose. when the photographers were going crazy, he was smiling and said 'aashirwad'. he's got a great sense of humour. then stared the question-answer round. there were some good and some stupid questions. a guy asked him his reaction on his three of his songs being nominated for the Oscrs. then ARR said that they are not nominated but short listed. they have changed some rules and hence this is the first time indian music was short listed. he also said that he was very happy for that. then a girl asked how he was feeling after singing for the first time in Hindi in Guru. he frowned for a second and said ' you mean first duet? yes its for the first time i have sung a duet with a girl. then he said how mani ratman forced him to sing it. then there was a guy from TNN and asked the most famous question that was he inspired by Michael Jackson? First ARR asked him back ' the music or the video?' the guy said ' specially video but the song has also touch of Michael Jackson'. then what ARR said, i guess everyone in the group already knows. then i raised my hand for the mike. The guy from CNN-IBN was asking him about the ARR foundation and i sitting nervous with the mike, dont know what to say, couldnt listen properly what he answered. it was my first experience to attend any press meet and ask question as i am not a journalist, moreover the fact that i was asking question to nobody else but ARR was making me even more nervous. then came my turn. i said ' hello Mr. Rahman', and then he was searching for me to locate where i was sitting. i raised my hand again and then he looked at me. that was the moment which i can never forget. my God was looking at me and waiting to listen my question. that moment was something which even i never expected to have in my life. Dinesh, you are right, i was blessed. i said ' i guess i am the only one here from your Yahoo group fan club.' then he smiled at me. 'so my question is something off the track. we all know that you love to compose in Desh, Darbari and Yaman. Now when you are composing for Akbar Jodha, can we expect some Marwa stuff for that?'. then he started laughing and said ' that's a surprize. i cant tell that now. Akbar Jodha is based on the life of Akbar and his love for Jodha.'. then i said again ' so will there be some Rajasthani folk?' he said ' definitely there will be some'. after the question answer session, Vijay Iyer came to me and told his name. i asked Vijay to do me favour that i wll stand near the cut out and can he take a pic of my with my mob? he said ,' why cut out, stand near him, i will take a pic of yours'. this was something really BEYOND my thought. i went near him, i dont know what i said to him but he understood that i wanted to have a pic with him nodded and smiled. Vijay took my pic and for that i will be grateful to him for all my life. i also took some of his images but they didnt come very good as my hand was shaking. i will send them to group as soon as i get them uploaded. Durba
