http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/sns-ap-oscars-original-song,0,445493.story
LOS ANGELES (AP) — In just one night, Indian film composer A.R. Rahman equaled
the number of Oscars his fellow Indians had taken home during the first 80
years of the Academy Awards.
The 43-year-old composer, hailed in India as the Mozart of Madras, won Oscars
Sunday for best original soundtrack and best original song, both from the movie
"Slumdog Millionaire."
Other Indians to collect Oscar gold before him were costume designer Bhanu
Athaiya, honored for "Gandhi" in 1982, and arthouse director Satyajit Ray, who
received a lifetime achievement award in 1992.
"I was excited and terrified," the soft-spoken Rahman said as he collected his
first Oscar, for best original soundtrack. "The last time I felt like that was
during my marriage."
Rahman competed against himself in the best song category with two nominations,
for "O ... Saya" and "Jai Ho." He won for the latter, the title of which
translates in English to "Be Victorious."
Rahman is no stranger to success in India. His fans there and elsewhere have
made him one of the world's best-selling recording artists, on par globally
with the Rolling Stones and Madonna.
He believes music and film can bring people together despite boundaries of
race, nationality and religion.
"All my life, I had a choice of hate and love. I chose love, and I'm here," he
said as he collected his second Oscar.
Long an advocate of the universality of music, Rahman has called on people to
be open to all styles, from heavy metal to jazz to hip-hop to R&B.
Danny Boyle, who won the best director Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire," said
that he attempted to give Rahman the leeway he needed to pursue various musical
forms in scoring the movie.
"I'm really happy and grateful it worked out," Rahman said.
