Gopal, You deserve every bit of love, affectiona and respect you got that day. but i want to make a request. i stay in Delhi and for its next to impossibe to come to Bangalore. so i dont hope meeting you someday and see the snaps you took on his b'day. i can understand his privacy, but can you upload a single image of him only cutting the cake....if you wish you can delete the surrounded people and all...plzzzz
Durba --- In [email protected], Lakki <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Dear Gopal, > > Truly overwhelming account of what happened. And for all the effort and > dedication you > have shown all these years for ARR, you deserve nothing less. > > Regards, > > ******************************************** > Lakki > Abu Dhabi > UAE > ******************************************** > > > On 1/7/07, Gopal Srinivasan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Dear friends, > > > > When we set out to raise funds for the A.R.Rahman Foundation as a gift for > > ARR's birthday, I > > had only planned to send him an image of the cheque by email and the > > physical cheque only by > > courier. But when the contributions soared past anything I had hoped for, > > I felt it was only > > fair that it be handed over in person. And so, I set out to Chennai on > > Saturday morning not > > knowing if I would actually be able to meet him. Though by now, we have > > seen enough evidence of > > his simplicity I imagined being stopped by security guards even before I > > could let him know, > > all of which was completely unwarranted. > > > > Thanks to the never-say-no graciousness of ARR and Vijay's entreaties, I > > had the good fortune > > of being your representative at the birthday celebrations of the person > > whom many of us deify. > > Far from being met with for a few seconds and summarily dismissed, I was > > treated with the same > > affection, care and love by everyone at his home and studio as were many > > of the key > > personalities of the industry who made their way to his abode to greet him > > in person. > > > > I made my way to his home with some navigational aid from Vijay to only > > find a bunch of busy > > workers setting up the place in preparation for lunch. When I said that I > > had to meet ARR Sir, > > I was asked to wait in the first floor of the studio which is the building > > right in front of > > his home. I made my way there to find many people doing the same, some of > > them being Mr. > > Srinivasa Krishnan of Global Rhythms, Sridhar Subramaniam of Sony BMG, > > Naresh Iyer, executives > > from WorldSpace and Saregama and producers from the Tamil industry whom I > > did not recognize. I > > could see gifts of flowers from a host of people from the industry - > > Subhash Ghai, Udit and > > Deepa Narayan, Rajkumar Santoshi, Bharat and Kanika, Chinmayee, Radio > > Mirchi, Radio City were > > some names that I managed to spot amidst the sea of bouquets in the > > studio. ARR's right hand > > men Noell James, Sivakumar, Swamidorai, Faiz and H. Sridhar were also in > > attendance. > > > > We were soon joined by ARR's mother, daughters, son, wife and sisters and > > others in the family. > > I soon realized that simplicity and humility runs through every brick and > > body in his home and > > studio. ARR still hadn't turned up and his mother insisted that we must > > have lunch and we were > > ushered back into his home where ARR joined us. Soon director Shankar and > > family, Kathir, > > Krishna (of SOK), Praveenkanth made their way in. After lunch we made our > > back to the studio, > > were ARR took us to a large studio room on the 2nd floor and screened the > > video of Pray For Me > > Brother. I am still searching for words to describe the multiple > > exhilarating emotions that > > passed through me as I watched the video. Nothing we have heard so far in > > the live performances > > truly captures the brilliance of the recorded song. Who else, but ARR, > > could have an Indian > > classical harmony accompanying a rap segment? > > > > Following this, both ARR and his son Ameen, who also celebrates his > > birthday on the same day, > > cut the cake jointly. While his son wanted to cut his special 'Spiderman' > > shaped cake, ARR > > decided his simpler cake was more appropriate :-) > > > > Coming to the crux of my visit, it was the time after the birthday cake > > was distributed and > > everyone was leisurely seated around the studio that I chose to hand the > > cheque over to ARR. I > > wish I could say, 'Did we spring a surprise on ARR or what!' But ARR > > instead sprang a surprise > > on me! He looked visibly moved and said 'I have been telling these folks > > what you guys have > > been doing.' I went, "Huh?" And his response was, 'I was on the group last > > night and saw all > > these messages about a collection drive. You guys are increasing my > > responsibilities now'. I > > quickly assured him that he could count on our support in anything that he > > wanted to do. he > > then handed the cheque over to his mother and introduced me to the rest of > > the people there. > > > > He then asked, 'Don't you want a picture?'. I joked, 'I would like you to > > say a few words or > > else all the folks would think I made off with the money'. He laughed and > > agreed. I told him I > > could wait till the studio was a little quieter. He said fine and went on > > to have a private > > conversation with Shankar and then moved away to supervise some dubbing > > work for Guru that was > > underway at the studio. > > > > Before he left, I mustered the courage to ask him if there was any way I > > could get another look > > at Pray For Me Brother, to which his reaction was, 'Of course, why even > > ask?' and asked Abdul > > from the studio to screen it for me in one of the smaller rooms. > > > > I was waiting around the studio for a while when a Jaya TV crew trudged in > > for a sound bite. > > Soon thereafter he came down and shot with them. Then he turned to me and > > asked, 'Can we shoot > > now?' And thus was marked another momentous occasion in the history of > > this fan community. > > > > I don't think I can ever thank all of you out there enough for having > > given me the privilege of > > undergoing this experience. I sincerely hope and pray that each one of us > > would find an > > opportunity to have a similar experience. I was overwhelmed when so many > > of you who I have > > never known or met come forward so confidently and generously to transfer > > what were no mean > > sums of money. All thanks to the magic of this one man whom we love and > > respect. > > > > Thanks, > > Gopal. > > > > >
