ozart of Madras' takes on the world
Sharadha Narayanan<http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/searchresult.aspx?AliasName=g6nNykEkgrgi7rOAU0ylb3BNUdQ6OEJx> First Published : 23 Jan 2009 01:22:36 AM IST Last Updated : 23 Jan 2009 10:00:45 PM IST CHENNAI: The Tamil film fraternity is celebrating A R Rahman's nominations to the Oscars with so much joy and pride. That he belongs to Bollywood as well, or got nominated for the Academy Awards for an English film, is no reason to not be bashful. The 'Mozart of Madras' might have courted fame with international collaborations, Bollywood flicks and solos, but Chennai has welcomed him with arms wide open every time he returned with a Tamil cinema, commanding a grip over Chennaiites like no other musician has. Slumdog Millionaire, a film with a relatively unknown cast, by a filmmaker who still remains obscure to many, has stepped in to the limelight, thanks to Rahman's musical score. The movie, already available on DVD, and the music<http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=%E2%80%98Mozart+of+Madras%E2%80%99+takes+on+the+world&artid=wlpn28FTink=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=music,+oscar;+Tamil+film;+A+R+Rahman;++nomination;#>selling like hot cakes, are ample proof for it. And his Oscar nomination, 16 years after he first took on his magical keyboard to play *Chinna Chinna Aasai*, gives the entire industry reason to celebrate. Actor Madhavan feels it a time of sheer happiness. "We're making headlines not just as a growing economy now, but as people with creative brilliance. It augurs so well for cinema as a whole too," says the actor. The sixteen years of incessant hard work put in by the musician, makes him the most likely candidate for an Oscar, claims lyricist Vairamuthu. "This honour hasn't come to him overnight. It is the result of enormous toil by the youngster," he quips. Vairamuthu, who has been a great part of Rahman's journey from his first song in Roja, thinks Rahman deserves it and is so sure that he will get it. http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=%E2%80%98Mozart+of+Madras%E2%80%99+takes+on+the+world&artid=wlpn28FTink=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=music,+oscar;+Tamil+film;+A+R+Rahman;++nomination ; -- regards, Vithur
