Wonderful...... Wish Mani accompanies them, and never leaves ARR and Gulzar for his movies..
On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 8:12 AM, Gopal Srinivasan <[email protected]>wrote: > I want Mani Ratnam to also come with Rahman and me for the Oscars. > > If the Oscar comes my way, it tells me that I am not tired yet > > Gulzar speaks on the much-celebrated Oscar nominated number, 'Jai Ho' from > Slumdog Millionaire > > By Subhash K Jha > Posted On Sunday, January 25, 2009 at 11:22:18 PM > > • Your song 'Jai ho' with Rahman is being hummed all over the world? > I was attending a literary festival in Jaipur when the announcements were > made. People started > congratulating me and I was called on stage. Vikas Swarup, who wrote novel > Q & A, based on > which the film is made, was also in Jaipur. All of us greeted each other > with 'Jai ho'. That's > when I realised that 'Jai ho' had become a catch-phrase. > > • Did you write a catch-phrase so that it could gain global recognition? > Not at all. You can't predict a child's horoscope. How could I predict what > kind of an impact > my words would have? I have always been using catch-phrases in my lyrics, > whether it was > 'Chaiyyan chaiyyan' in Dil Se or 'Chhai chhap chhai, chhapak chai' in > Hu-tu-tu. > > • How do you feel about the Oscar nomination? > To get an Oscar nomination at this stage of my career is like a big thump > on my back. If the > Oscar comes my way, it tells me that I am not tired yet. An Oscar is always > looked upon as a > very high benchmark for excellence. > > • Would you say that our films and music have gone global? > I will definitely say that we have come a long way. Today, our cinema is in > the global league. > Earlier, when Indian films were released on an international platform, the > songs would be cut > out. Now a foreigner has not only come forward to make a film on Mumbai but > has also > incorporated Hindi songs in it. Also, now the songs in our films are left > intact when released > abroad. That a very Mumbai-centric film and not a mainstream American film, > is nominated for > the Oscars is a very big achievement by itself. And I want to thank > director Danny Boyle for > that. > > • How has Rahman contributed to the globalisation of Indian music? > Rahman has made a world of difference to the Indian film music. If I > deserve one thump for the > Oscar nomination, Rahman deserves three. His song 'Chaiyyan chaiyyan' in > Dil Se created a > global impact. In fact, the song was used in a Hollywood film - Spike Lee's > The Inside Man. His > songs in the musical, Bombay Dreams were also appreciated. > > • You seem to be very fond of Rahman. > Yes I am. When he had curly hair, I used to call him bal bhagwan. He has a > strong hand in > taking Indian music to the global platform. When we work together, he is > the rider on the > horse, while my poetry is the lagaam. Put Mani Ratnam with us, and we are > quite a team. I hope > Mani doesn't ask me ever to leave this team. > > • You are known for your poetry. Do you feel that the poetry is missing > from the average film > song nowadays? > The younger generation does want poetry, but in the way they find > palatable. We harp on the > music from the past. But where are the films where the boatman sailed > across a river while the > heroine sat on the bank drawing lines in the sand with her toes. We can't > live in the past. > > If we did, there would be no 'Jai ho' exciting the audience. That is why > today's generation > wants remixes. If they shy away from poetry, it is because the words do not > reach out to them. > With Rahman, I am able to draw a balance between poetry and accessibility. > Among today's > lyricists, Prasoon Joshi and Swanand Kirkire are able to create that > balance. > > • What will you wear for the Oscars? > No one has blown the whistle from LA. We will cross the bridge when we come > to it. Stop > deciding the colour of my socks prematurely. But one thing is for sure, for > next year, I want > Mani Ratnam to also come with Rahman and me for the Oscars. > > * If I deserve one thump for the Oscar nomination, Rahman deserves three – > Gulzar > > > -- regards, Vithur
