Jai Ho Rahman !

It’s time to celebrate and celebrate Chennai did in fine fashion
. Slumdog Millionaire won eight Oscar Awards. Of them, two went to local boy AR Rahman. Rahman’s double delight brought cheer to scores of Indians and the news of him winning two Oscars for Best Song and Best Music Score, sparked off large scale celebrations in Chennai.

What made the victories sweeter was the fact that Rahman was his humble self, even as loads of praises were heaped on him. His simple, yet powerful statement, ‘Ella Pughazhum Irraivanukke’ (All glory be to God) sent across a strong message to scores of fans across the globe.

Kareema Begum (AR Rahman’s mother)
My first thanks is to God who has made him grow so big. I think it is the reward for the amount of hard work he put into all his musical tracks. This double delight has brought glory to the nation.

Surya
India’s dream has come true through A R Rahman. Rahman blows me away with his simplicity. He is always controlled and it comes across when you meet him and read his interviews. He’s a legend to an outsider, but to us, he is a down-to-earth person. He doesn’t give you the impression that he’s a big shot. I also admire him for the love and affection he showers on his mother. We’ve seen him from Roja and I think this is the right time to honour him. Personally, I’m humbled when I think that he sang the song New York Nagaram... in my film. It’s something I cherish. I’m also happy for editor Pookutty.

Gautham Menon
It’s tremendous. It’s quite an emotional moment for me. The Oscars are a recognition of all that he has done. He is so humble and simple. We have so much to learn from him. As far as the movie is concerned, I think the technical awards are well deserved. I am happy for Resul Pookutty and congratulate him too.

Prasanna
I’m so proud that he spoke in Tamil. He said, ‘Ella Pughazhum Irraivanukke’.Every Indian should be proud of Rahman for taking our culture to the international arena. And I’m not saying we should be proud just because he won an Oscar. Even otherwise, he has made us all very proud. I’m so excited and want to call the world and announce my overwhelming happiness.

Kareena Kapoor
Well done Rahman! As someone who loves cinema, I would like to thank Rahman personally for opening the doors internationally for us. It is a proud moment for our country and we should all celebrate this event together.

Amitabh Bachchan
Rehman and Resul deserve the Oscars and I feel extremely proud to be an Indian. They have done us great service by bringing Indian cinema to a recognised international forum. I am very happy that our musicians and technicians have been rewarded.

Aamir Khan
My heartfelt congrats to the team. It was a moment of pride as I saw Rahman and Resulm, who worked with me in Ghajini, go up there and make history. Whether this has paved the way for Indian cinema, we will get to know only when the process begins. But the fact is that talent from our side of the continent has been recognised, which is great.

Actor Parthiban
Slumdog Millionaire is about a film on slum children and we decided to celebrate Rahman’s victory with slum children. I’m an ordinary fan of his and I cut a cake to celebrate his victory. The cake had Jai Ho written on it. Winning one Oscar itself is a big deal, two is nothing less than a double treat. One generally whistles to express joy, but when it is overwhelming happiness, one cries. I cried.

Preity Zinta
I was 100 per cent sure Rahman was going to win the award. He has made such fabulous music. Rasool too has captured the sound of Mumbai so fantastically and Gulzar saab’s lyrics are out of this world. With Indians being recognised internationally, all the boundaries between the east and the west are finally being erased.

Pooja
When Rahman said, ‘Ella Pughazhum Irraivanukke’, I thought these lines seem familiar. Then I realised that I had spoken those lines in the climax of my film Naan Kadavul. I think this is the first of many more to come. We have made our presence felt.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com