A R Rahman hopes to win at least one Oscar

London, Feb 6 (PTI) Indian music maestro A R Rahman, who
has bagged three Academy Award nominations in two categories
for his compositions in 'Slumdog Millionaire', believes he
will win at least one Oscar with "God's blessings".

"I hope, we get at least one (Oscar). I cannot wait for
the announcement," Rahman was Friday quoted in The Daily
Telegraph as saying.

Only two Indians have ever won an Oscar -- costume
designer Bhanu Athaiya for Gandhi (1982) and renowned
filmmaker Satyajit Ray who received a lifetime achievement
award in 1992.

However, with three Academy Award nominations this year
for Slumdog Millionaire -- one for overall score and for two
songs -- the Chennai-based composer looks likely to be the
third, the report said.

He is also up for the Best Music award at Sunday night's
Baftas.

"We've been waiting for this for 80 years," said Rahman.

"I believe that whatever comes at a particular time is a
blessing from God," he said.

While Rahman first came to the attention of Western
audiences with his film music for Elizabeth: The Golden Age
(2007) and stage shows Bombay Dreams and The Lord of the
Rings, his already stellar profile will go into overdrive
should be win the Oscar on Feb 22.

Numerous Hollywood offers have been coming Rahman's
way since the film's release, the report said.

Just as in a Bollywood film, in Slumdog Millionaire
the music is almost as important as was the imagery and the
narrative, and is central to its ambience of grit and
grandeur.

"We wanted it edgy, upfront. Danny (Boycle, who
directed) wanted it loud," said Rahman.

Until now, the 43-year-old Rahman was often seen as a
kind of Indian Andrew Lloyd Webber, inventive and full of
melodic facility, often veering into the middle of the road.
Lloyd Webber compares Rahman to Paul McCartney.

What makes the soundtrack something genuinely new is
the collaboration of rappers such as Blaaze (also based in
Chennai) and more particularly the presence of Sri Lankan/
British musician MIA, who co-wrote the Oscar-nominated song O
Saya, and whose huge global YouTube hit Paper Planes is also
on the soundtrack.

She brings some Lennon-like acidity to Rahman's
McCartn eyish sweetness.

It was MIA who pressed for both songs to be nominated.

"I knew 'Jai Ho' was a hit, and I thought we'd push
for one song, but MIA thought we should push for 'O Saya',
too. And she proved to be absolutely right," said Rahman.

Rahman's first breakthrough tune, Chinna Chinna Aasai,
in the 1992 film Roja was a song of a poor man dreaming of
riches.

Rahman's family had struggled after his father, also a
composer, died when he was nine and the family were reduced to
hiring out instruments.

His father's electric tastes was inherited by his son,
who formed a rock band in his teens and studied Western
classical music (at Trinity College in London) and Indian
classical music.

Since Roja, he has written scores of hit movie
soundtracks for films such as Lagaan, Dil Se and Guru.

Whether or not the published figures that he has sold
more than 100 million CDs and 200 million cassettes are
accurate, he is already one of the most successful musicians
on the planet, the report said.

"Compared with other Indian film composers, I only
write about six movies a year. Others write up to 60," he
said. PTI HSR
PMR