Check todays TOI Blore edition ( Blore times) On Fri, Mar 20, 2009 at 8:24 AM, Prakash Balaramkrishna < prakysn...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Can you provide the link if it's an online page? > > ------------------------------ > *From:* Gopal Srinivasan <catchg...@yahoo.com> > *To:* arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Friday, March 20, 2009 7:56:51 AM > *Subject:* [arr] ‘It feels good to meet fans, but not 6,000 at once’ > > > ‘It feels good to meet fans, but not 6,000 at once’ > ... says music director AR Rahman, who made his first public appearance in > the city post the Oscars > SHILPA BANSAL > > HOW would you feel if AR Rahman dropped by at your place just like that? It > happened to Mr and Mrs Mohammed Rafi, the first lucky Airtel digital TV > customers who won Airtel’s ‘Bring Home the Magic’ contest. “When AR Rahman > won the Oscars, I was wondering if I’d ever get a chance to congratulate him > in person. And it happened thanks to Airtel digital TV,” said Mohammed Rafi, > whose wife baked a cake for Rahman. > The Rafis’ neighbours were even more excited at the prospect of seeing the > Jai Ho! boy. The children were carrying posters that read ‘Welcome to our > home AR Rahman Uncle’. Many brought bouquets and other mementos. When Rahman > got out of the car, the building echoed with Jai Ho! The maestro was > overwhelmed. “Coming back from the Oscars and visiting a home like this — I > love it. It feels good to meet fans, but not 6,000 at once,” Rahman smiled. > All praise for Airtel’s efforts to bring the stars home to fans, Rahman > said, “It’s a great way to interact with customers.” > This ‘Bring Home the Magic’ promotion offers Airtel digital TV customers an > opportunity to have their favourite stars AR Rahman, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena > Kapoor, Zaheer Khan and Gautam Gambhir come to their homes. Customers can > also win other prizes like LCD TVs and cellphones. Chandrashekar > Radhakrishnan, head, brand and media, Bharti Airtel Ltd said, “Airtel > digital TV was launched with the objective of enhancing the TV viewing > experience for Indian consumers. The proposition of ‘Magical Entertainment’ > was brought to life by top-of-the-line product features and the creative > idea of ‘Come Home to the Magic’. The prospect of a legend like AR Rahman > walking into Rafi’s home would certainly have been a magical experience for > him and his family!” > BT also chatted with the maestro about life after the Oscars. Tired of the > Slumdog Millionaire hype, he had said in an interview, “Leave me alone.” “I > know everybody’s excited, kind and loving. But it can get too much. And you > have to get on with life, work, family and music. It’s tough when you get > 300 SMSes and 500 mails and people get upset because they didn’t get a > reply,” says Rahman, who fell ill when he returned from the Academy Awards. > “It was all the travelling, jetlag and felicitation functions,” he says. > His son was unwell of late too — the reason Rahman left the Filmfare Awards > early. Is it tough to find time for family, especially for someone who keeps > his public and personal lives separate? “I’ve always wanted to keep my > personal life separate so that my family can have a peaceful life. I don’t > want to take them everywhere and pose. They need to have their own space,” > Rahman explains. > After the Oscars, he finds his creative efforts in the middle of election > fever. Political parties are using filmi songs for their campaigns and one > of them is Jai Ho!, the rights of which have been bought by a political > party. “When I came back, Jai Ho! seemed to belong to everyone. I couldn’t > say anything; it was used everywhere — for remixes, fashion shows and even > for some event in Singapore. But using it for a political campaign is > interesting. I’m not with any party and will support anyone who does > something for the people. I hope voters choose qualified and deserving > candidates. And if the songs make it easier, then why not?” he asks. > Rahman, now known as the ‘Oscar Tamilian’, is also composing a new Tamil > anthem for Tamilians across the globe. Lyricist Vairamuthu, who’ll pen the > lyrics for this anthem, had said when he and Rahman were performing in > Malaysia, they got to know that the Tamils there have their own anthem. So, > the duo decided to create one anthem for Tamilians everywhere. “Yes, of > course, I’m from Tamil Nadu but I want to make it clear that I belong to > everyone,” he says. > When asked about reports of him composing for the next James Bond movie, > the composer blushed and softly said, “I don’t know what you are talking > about.” He didn’t say no, you see! > > >
