Indian composer A R Rahman wins Golden Globe

If there was one piece of news that was all over Indian media yesterday, it was of A.R. Rahman winning the Golden Globe award for his peppy score in Slumdog Millionaire.



Long was such an honor over due on this musical genius. Rahman lost his father at 9. Being the oldest of the children he took up the responsibility of supporting his family on his shoulders. He joined a musical band to earn money for his family. In his teens he won a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music, London. If you check his wiki, he is in the list of top 10 all-time selling recordists.

British media calls him 'The Mozart of Madras'. Indeed a very Mozart like story. Mozart too had a very impoverished childhood.

Rahman's Golden Globe victory and a possible nomination in the Oscars will hopefully set a positive trend in the Indian film industry. When Rahman included 'the billion people of India' in his tribute in his award speech, we Indians exactly knew what he meant. True Indian cinema for over six decades have been eclipsed by over the roof musicals and grandiose set designs. Rahman's win can become that becaon of inspiration to Indian artists. The inspiration to dream and to believe that international and national recognition for your work is now within reach.

Although funnily, Rahman still provides soundtrack and music for typical Indian musical-styled films. But he is also slowly gaining popularity for his offbeat scores and for scoring for offbeat movies. In the last seven years, Rahman's music in Lagaan, Swades, Rang De Basanti and Slumdog show a gradual shift in his willingness to shy away from the stereotypical Bollywood and all other woods' stuff and make some beliveable music.

To those naive readers, yes, we Indians have many woods. Apart from Bollywood, we have Kolly, Tolly and Polly and a few others. They are regional film industries prone to borrow from the main Hindi film industry. But lets hope that Rahman's inspirational win will at least party decimate the commerical rubbish that has creeped into Indian cinema and we will make some good cinema again.