Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4179868,prtpage-1.cms
KOLKATA: When Sohini Roy Chowdhury used to learn Bharatanatyam under Guru Thankamani Kutty from the tender age of six, little did she know that some day she would be asked to dance to AR Rahman's Oscar winning music from Slumdog Millionaire directed by a British filmmaker and the toast of Hollywood's biggest night. The film has won two golden statuettes for the composer, along with one for lyricist Gulzar. Barely a fortnight ago, Sohini, who runs a dance school in Madrid, was contacted by the film's distributors to perform to the track of Jai ho! and O Saya, the two numbers that were nominated in the Best Song category. "They wanted an Indian group, dancing Bharatanatyam in particular, since that is the dance from Chennai, the home of Rahman," Sohini told TOI from Madrid. Against the background of life-size cutouts, SohiniMoksha danced to the two nominated tracks, as well as select numbers from Slumdog, including Liquid Dance, "where sounds of percussion have been blended with music of the veena". One of the strains in Jai ho! lends itself to Flamenco, and this was right down the alley of the dancer who had recently performed this fusion dance in Kolkata. The appeal could be gauged from the thunderous applause, as too the request to perform all the numbers twice. "By the time we finished, the numbers had got entrenched in the mind of the viewers." The danseuse was accompanied by five of her students, who come from Spain, France, Jamaica, Iraq and the US. Danny Boyle was "completely enthralled" by this touch of India in Madrid, more so " because a dancer performed pure Bharatanatyam to tracks from my film,'" Sohini said, quoting the director. When the magnificent stage at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles came alive to the vibrant number that marked Rahman lifting the spirit of India along with the Oscar, the dancers performed a mix of Bollywood and Broadway movements, she observed. The premiere at Cine Callao had all the celebrities of Spain, but not Penelope Cruz, adjudged the Best Supporting Actress for Vicky Christina Barcelona directed by Woody Allen. Sohini doesn't mind that, especially after the "wonderful success" of Slumdog. "We kept praying May our film win,' for we feel a part of it, however remotely." This was not only because the India connection was reinforced by the Madrid premiere. "I'm happy because the end message gives hope, which is so needed in the world today."
