EDITORIAL COMMENT | Rahman Scores
13 Jan 2009, 0000 hrs IST
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In a fairy tale that mirrors its own narrative, a little
movie<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/EDIT_Rahman_Scores/articleshow/3969205.cms#>from
Britain about a poor Indian kid who gets on a game show to win a
girl's
heart and ends up winning a fortune has won big at what is the world's
second-biggest movie awards show. 'Slumdog Millionaire' was nominated for
four Golden
Globes<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/EDIT_Rahman_Scores/articleshow/3969205.cms#>,
in adapted screenplay, direction, original score and best dramatic movie
categories. It has swept all four awards. A R Rahman, one of India's most
prolific music directors, has won for his work in the film.
Rahman's impact on Indian popular music has been tremendous. He composes
across genres, from swing to pop to rousing anthems and semi-classical tunes
and is known for high technology. He rose from scoring for Tamil movies to
composing for big-budget stage productions abroad like 'Bombay Dreams' and
'The Lord of the Rings'. In his debut with 'Roja' in 1991, Rahman lifted
Indian movie music out of the doldrums it had fallen into in the eighties.
He represented a break from the past in more ways than one, trained as he is
in Indian and western classical forms. Building on the work of other south
Indian masters like Ilayaraja, Rahman brought innovation and improvisation
to the music industry. Once christened the 'Mozart of Madras' by `Time'
magazine, this latest recognition might presage an Oscar, which would be a
worthy tribute to a master musician.
A critical and commercial success, `Slumdog' has proven that it is possible
for films about India to do well globally, and not just within the NRI
community. With India's rising international profile, interest in the
country and the Indian way of life is high. British director Danny Boyle has
taken the typical Bollywood movie formula, complete with song and dance, and
improved upon it to enormous success. Now the movie is considered to be a
shoo-in for an Oscar nomination for best film and will be a favourite to win
the coveted trophy.
Partly in Hindi, the movie is an uplifting tale, but manages to balance
fantasy with a stark look at the life of the urban poor in India. It is this
balancing act that seems to have touched a chord in audiences abroad.
There's no reason why more film-makers cannot take a leaf out of Boyle's
book and adapt the formulaic Bollywood
song<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/EDIT_Rahman_Scores/articleshow/3969205.cms#>and
dance extravaganza to something logically consistent even if fanciful.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/EDIT_Rahman_Scores/articleshow/3969205.cms
--
regards,
Vithur
