Crowd goes wild as Rahman reaches home
27 Feb 2009, 0345 hrs IST, Kamini Mathai, TNN
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CHENNAI: There were two moments on the morning of February 23 that all of
Chennai was waiting for to watch AR Rahman collect the first Academy Award for
Best Original Score and a second one for Best
Song<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Crowd-goes-wild-as-Rahman-reaches-home/articleshow/4197858.cms#>.
The morning of February 26 was the third moment they had been waiting for AR
Rahman's return home.
Crowds gathered around AR Rahman's house on Subbraya Nagar 4th Street and
burst 1,000 and 10,000 wallahs, flower pots and atom bombs, beat drums, and
danced koothu.
While the rest of Kodambakkam bore a deserted look, as it should at 2.30 am
on a weekday, this street was full of life with posters, photographs and
excerpts of his speech at the Oscar ceremony (the favourite line was Ella
puhazhum iraivanukke'.
Christmas lights were draped on trees leading to the street, while a canopy
of lights was created from the beginning of his street right to Rahman's
house<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Crowd-goes-wild-as-Rahman-reaches-home/articleshow/4197858.cms#>.
Rahman's assistants set up a stage, complete with live orchestra that
drummed out his tunes until his arrival around 3 am.
When AR stepped out of his car with his mother and sister to walk into his
house, it didn't matter to the fans that they could just about manage a
glimpse of their Isai Puyal'
(musical<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Crowd-goes-wild-as-Rahman-reaches-home/articleshow/4197858.cms#>storm)
through the fortress of police, assistants and friends. In a matter
of moments, AR was whisked inside the high walls of his house, but the crowd
stayed on as they had been promised earlier in the morning that their
favourite composer would come out and address them.
After nearly 45 minutes, percussionist Sivamani emerged, obviously having
been sent out to keep the crowds occupied while AR addressed the press
inside his home. And for once in his life Sivamani actually managed to
control a crowd with his
music<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Crowd-goes-wild-as-Rahman-reaches-home/articleshow/4197858.cms#>,
instead of sending them wild like he usually does. He had them moving to
various pieces that he drummed out and when that was done and AR was not
ready to come out, he decided to talk to them. He told them how happy AR was
about the Oscar and how it was the people of Tamil Nadu who had helped them
all get where they are. Then he started screaming out Ella puhazhum...' and
waiting for the crowd to scream back Iraivanukke'.
The only person who seemed very happy with the crowds was the local tea
seller, who made a profit of Rs 1,500 selling tea and cigarettes to the
waiting fans.
Finally, a little after 4 am, AR made an appearance and the crowd went wild.
He spoke for a while, showed them his Oscars, and then ended with, you
guessed it, Jai Ho!'. A fitting finale for the crowds and the fourth moment
they had been waiting for.
[email protected]
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Crowd-goes-wild-as-Rahman-reaches-home/articleshow/4197858.cms
--
regards,
Vithur
