[arr] Kural Online
Not sure if this has been mentioned before - the indiaglitz video that someone posted earlier has the complete Kural track from Connections Skip to Part #2, 2:53 http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/article/44180.html cheers Krish
[arr] Re: Greetings...
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=iTBGsXV1fG4 starts around 1:40 - Krish --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, morpheuz07 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: i'll skip the part about myself... just wanted to drop in and say that while watching the SCREAM AWARDS(an award function for comic and superhero movie adaptations- which is a pretty big thing and had people like christopher nolanbatman begins, the dark knight, memento, the prestige, Jon Favreauironman, Gary Oldman, michael caine, and many many more stars just like them).. gave out a special award to tim burton (sweeney todd, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, Mars Attacks, Corpse Bride) with a video of all his movies compressed as an achievement award with the background score of rahman... the song was from the vandhe matram album, which was also from the movie gentleman. and to those of you whom had already posted this, or knew about this, sorry, i wasn't sure... but i just wanted to inform you guys... tc, cheerio! -z-
Re: [arr] A.R. Rahman and Selvaraghavan together
This week's Ananda Vikatan reports that ARR and Selvaragaghavan would be coming together for a (tamil?) movie starring new comers. cheers Krish --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, shahul hameed [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: This news was published in behindwoods.com ages before. So I doubt whether there is such a project in pipeline. On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 2:42 PM, Vithur [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Is this likely the 7G Rainbow Colony in Hindi ?? On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 6:20 PM, Ranjith K [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Yuvan Shankar Raja has been so close to Selvaraghavan right from the early days of his career. But then, as three of these special personalities; Selvaraghavan, Yuvan and cinematographer Aravind Krishna split up, they had to give up their joint venture of production as 'White Elephants'. Finally, Selvaraghavan opted for G.V. Prakash to score music for his forthcoming flick 'Aayirathil Oruvan' starring Paruthiveeran fame Karthi, Reema Sen, Andrea and Parthiban in lead roles. Soon after getting completed with this project, Selvaraghavan will kick-start his next project featuring new faces in the lead role and A.R. Rahman has signed to score music for the film? http://www.kollywoodtoday.com/news/ar-rahman-and-selvaraghavan- together/ regards, ranjith -- regards, Vithur
[arr] Aishwarya Rai learning Carnatic Music
Read in Tamil newspaper Dinakaran a couple of weeks back that Ash is learning a bit of Carnatic music for Mani's movie (Ravana ? Ashokavanam ?); seems it is necessary for her character in the movie. cheers Krish
[arr] Airtel DTH Ad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Xd5qQgIrLo cheers Krish
[arr] ARR in Trichy
http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/16/stories/2008081650600200.htm Rahman drives in, as a surprise guest G. Prasad Strive hard to become the best in whatever you do, the music director exhorts college students Photo: M. Moorthy MAESTRO TOUCH: Music director A.R. Rahman inaugurating Jeddah alumni MBA block at Jamal Mohamed College in Tiruchi on Friday. M.J.M. Abdul Gafoor, centre, college secretary and correspondent, and Principal M. Sheik Mohamed, right, are also seen. â TIRUCHI: It was a well-kept secret. Only at the eleventh hour did students of Jamal Mohammed College know that ace music director A. R. Rahman would be in the campus as the chief guest for the annual alumni get-together of the College here on Friday. For many, the reality sank in only when the âMozart of Madras,â dressed in blue jeans and kurta, stepped out of a Toyota Innova. Rahman was greeted with rapturous applause, and when he waved his hands, the claps got louder. Through his compositions, Rahman keeps gauging the pulse of the youth. No wonder, students vied with one another to have a glimpse of the world renowned music director. While many managed to get his autograph, a few lucky ones took a snap with him. All through his trip round the college campus, Rahman was surrounded by a sea of students. And the cameras flashed endlessly, during his close to three hour stay. âI feel great to be with you on the Independence Day and we as Indians should work for the prosperity of the nation,â he said while addressing the students. âStrive hard to become the best in whatever you do and never settle for anything less. Your hard work will be rewarded at the right time.â He also commended the farsightedness of the founders â Jamal Mahomed and Khajamian Rowther in establishing the college which is serving the cause of poor and downtrodden. Award for Rahman Rahman received the âMost Distinguished Community Service Awardâ from the Secretary and Correspondent of the college M. J. M. Abdul Gafoor in the presence of the president M. J. Nooruddin, Treasurer, K. A. Khaleel Ahmed and Assistant Secretary, Khaja Najmudeen. Principal M. Sheik Mohamed explained the role played by the overseas alumni chapters in the development of the college. The star musician also inaugurated the Jeddah Alumni MBA block, constructed from the donations made by the members of the Jeddah Alumni chapter. Former students awarded A total of 17 former students of the college received the âDistinguished Alumnus Awardâ for their outstanding services in different fields during the function. The Jeddah JMC Well Wishers Endowment block was declared open by S. A. Abdul Malik and A. Rahamathullah, both from Jeddah Chapter. The awardees recalled their sweet memories of their student days and acknowledged the services of the teachers. Scholarships sponsored by Jamal Mohamed College Alumni Association were distributed to deserving students.
Re: [arr] Modified Taxi
Vithur, Definitely not this one. The new one Im referring to is not more than 30 seconds and had a different rap, if Im right. I was so excited listening to something new that I didnt listen to it properly :-) and didnt even notice the channel. cheers Krish --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Vithur [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Dear Krishnan http://youtube.com/watch?v=E3HPUETISXs Check this one On Mon, Jul 28, 2008 at 10:46 PM, Krishnan Raghavan [EMAIL PROTECTED]wrote: Not sure if this has been already posted. I just abt saw a trailer of sakkarakatti (Not sure if it was on on Sun Music/kalaingar TV) with a modified Taxi music bit. Needless to say, it sounded impressive. Any idea if the trailer is available online ? cheers Krish -- regards, Vithur ARR -- The Sweet Cube always
[arr] Modified Taxi
Not sure if this has been already posted. I just abt saw a trailer of sakkarakatti (Not sure if it was on on Sun Music/kalaingar TV) with a modified Taxi music bit. Needless to say, it sounded impressive. Any idea if the trailer is available online ? cheers Krish
[arr] Elay and Yelelo
fueling some speculation here ;-) Did AR give one of his Yelelo compositions to Kalaprabhu ? Speaking at the launch function of the film (Yelelo), Rahman said that director Parthiban had narrated two stories to him. He felt that there was ample scope for folk music in the second story, which he had accepted and is titled 'Yelelo'. Rahman said that for this movie he has decided to blend the local folk music elements with Irish folk music songs. He hoped that this experiment will present these styles in a new light. (from Vinod's site - http://www.arr4music.com/details.html)
[arr] JA - Additional background score
Not sure if this has been brought up here - in the end credits of JA, if you patiently wait for about 3-4 minutes, you can see someone named Kazimir(?) credited for additional background score. Any idea who this guy is and his contribution ? cheers Krish
[arr] Ashu, Ash Hrithik on ARR
telecast on MTV Ash and Hrithik talk abt ARR @ ~5:16 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iWmmP7e7ss Ashu starts talking abt the music @ ~5:15 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96CI8ArAMw cheers Krish
[arr] Sivaji audio before March 2nd Week
Tamil newspaper Dhina Thanthi has carried an interview with Sivaji's producer A.V.M Saravanan today. The interview quotes Saravanan mentioning that the complete shooting is over and post-production work is happening at a hectic pace to release the movie by April 12th (12th being an auspicious day). He has also mentioned that they are working towards releasing the audio by 1st week of March, worst case, 2nd week. cheers Krish
[arr] LOTR Musical review
Well, I'm happy to report there are Ents and they're satisfyingly Entish and not at all short. Many things are handled very well in this production. Some of my favourite moments were Gandalf's return (very dramatic and exciting), and Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead. Now, that was a fantastic scene it might be my second favourite moment of night. Here is where I really felt A.R. Rahman's music. As an Indian film fan it's something I'd been eager for since the start. It's very dramatic and disturbing in this scene. Excellent! The music was composed by A.R. Rahman and Värttinä and is hauntingly inspiring. Rahman is a veteran of the Indian film industry and he isn't afraid to take chances with his music. He is a perfect choice in this context as well as he blends together different types of world music to create the unique and echoing melodies of Middle- earth. Värttinä is a distinguished folk music group from Finland. Together with Rahman they have created harmonies and a vocal quality in the singing that will continue to resonate long after you leave the theatre. http://www.warofthering.net/articles/article_10827.php -- -- Review of the LOTR Musical in Toronto By Eledhwen Feb 27, 2006, 06:00 GMT printer friendly page email this article Well Wow. I let a day go by before writing this review because last night I was awed, overwhelmed by the sheer scale of what the cast, crew and producers of this musical were doing. Skip everything else for just a moment. The stage revolves 360º with many different sections that raise and lower to create ramps, ramparts, cliffs and gullies. The set reaches out into the audience with foliage, branches and lights extending from the stage. They make use of effects like running water, echoes, wind, and strobe lights. The cast is large yet the stage never feels crowded. The costumes are rustic, majestic, creepy, warlike; each in perfect measure. It's incredible to watch (even if your imagination isn't captured) for the logistics of it all. But my imagination and my heart were indeed captured. And so I search for a word, a phrase, something catchy to sum it all up. I can't. I'm down to `Wow.' I went to see this musical in the same way that I went to that first showing of Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring. I wasn't sure what would happen and I wasn't really expecting to like the end result. Just like that first showing of FotR, I love this production more than I can express. I've seen many plays and musicals over the years and this one outshines them all. From the start, getting seated in the lush Princess of Wales theatre, the audience was enthralled. Many were examining the branches that extend from the stage out into the seating area, craning their necks upward and to each side to take it all in. Then Hobbits appeared onstage. It wasn't time for the play to start and we all wondered what it was about. There were some Hobbit-lads fishing and reaching for fireflies hovering just out reach. We felt like we were really watching a little bit of the Shire right in front of us. I won't tell you more and spoil the delight, but it is a marvellously entertaining way to lead up to a play. Get there early to enjoy it. I also won't go through the story in detail; it should be experienced. Yes, of course it's truncated and many things have to be left out or changed. However, the spirit of Tolkien's story remains true and the flow of events is not interrupted. We'll all wish for different things, but I think that overall it satisfies. The books, the movies and this musical are as different and alike as Aman, Rivendell and Lothlórien. Aman and the books are the truth of the matter, the heart of the myth. The movies, like Rivendell, are both what you expect and what you don't, what you love most and what you miss most, a place where you feel at once so familiar with everything and yet at times like a stranger. The musical is like Lórien. It's somehow less the content of the story, but purer at its heart, less detailed beauty, but more poignant and truthful. You might spend less time here but your heart is refreshed, your faith in many things restored. Am I being overly dramatic? Maybe to someone who doesn't see the lure or value of Tolkien's incredible work I am. However to you, for whom I am writing this, I don't think so. What brings us together is how much we love this story and the musical is true to the essence of the story. One of my favourite scenes is when the Hobbits are being pursued by the Ringwraiths. One thing I really appreciate is the way they have used light and shadow to create spooky and frightening environments. The scenes with the Nazgûl are wonderful because of this. You see them imperfectly and they are huge. They have created props that allow them to flow across the stage in all their spooky,
[arr] LOTR Musical review - 2
Now something about the music. Some of it is very simple, but simple in a good way. Often it's the hobbits who come up with the folk- like, hummable tunes. Some of the other solo singing is very florid, with long sinuous lines Galadriel singing about Lothlorien, or a lullaby to the sleeping Fellowship Arwen singing to Frodo in Rivendell (in Elvish and then English), or to Aragorn (both in real life and in a vision), Eowyn's lament at Theoden's death (somewhat reminiscent of Miranda Otto's chant at Theodred's funeral). Often there is background singing, and often women's voices, while something else is going on onstage. When Frodo offers at the Council of Elrond to take the ring to Mordor, the background voice is very intense, almost wailing. Gimli later sings about the glories of the past in Moria (ok, one of my very favourite bits of Howard Shore comes from that scene, but this was pretty nice too!) Gollum's song has good dissonance in it. Sam's speech about the old stories, and about finding themselves in one, is a song. Sing me a story of heroes of the Shire, I believe it says. When they come to verse 2, Sam sings Sing me a story of Frodo and the Ring. They sing in very nice two-voice harmony, and they keep giggling because actually being IN the story seems so funny to them. It's really sweet. Then Sam falls asleep, and Frodo sings about Samwise the Brave a very touching way of structuring the song. The songs later returns after the Mouth of Sauron scene, and this time the accompaniment is in a different key from the melody an evocative distortion of Frodo's heroic actions, and a yearning for him. One of my favourite musical passages was after Gandalf tells Aragorn to take the Paths of the Dead. Gandalf then sings briefly to Aragorn, and then you hear Arwen singing to Aragorn, and then she comes to him and they sing together. He is given Anduril, to the sound of an appropriately triumphant harmonic progression, and Arwen sings to him something about find the hidden paths, alone and unafraid , finishing with return, my love return, my heart return. (I hope I have the words right one day I'll know for sure.) The music leading up to the coronation had a fine quality of triumph and celebration orchestra, with lots of brass. At the Grey Havens the voices singing in the background had chords interspersed with rests, which was very evocative. There was nearly continuous music much of the time, expressive atmospheric music which often built up greatly in intensity and supported the action well. I found myself wondering which of it came from A.R. Rahman, which from Varttina, and which from Christopher Nightingale, who integrated it all together. But as he said in his program note, that's probably not the best way to look at it. In the finished score, I hope there will be no song you can point to and say, `that's by A.R. Rahman,' or `that's by Varttina'. You may hear a melody originally written by Rahman, but to which Varttina has applied its own, unique interpretation, and vice-versa . Everything has grown together, building a whole and complete new world. Altogether it was a wonderful experience to see and hear this, and I hope it won't be the last time. For any of you who have an opportunity to go and see this, go. You won't be disappointed. cheers Krish http://fan.theonering.net/index.shtml Tuesday, February 07, 2006 LOTR Musical Review - Xoanon @ 10:52 PST Topaz writes: Well, I'm back as Sam said. Or didn't say, at least not on Sunday afternoon at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto where I saw the second ever performance of the new theatrical production of The Lord of the Rings. Long ago when I had first heard of plans to make LOTR into a musical, it scared me. Howard Shore had just done such an amazing job with the film scores, and now someone was going to make it all sound like Broadway? Please don't . Then as time went on and the production was to be in Toronto (half an hour from where I live), there began to be articles in the papers, interviews with the director I read them and I began to feel less afraid that someone was going to ruin my favourite story. I liked that they wanted it to be very different from the films (which I love but which are a different medium, and trying to copy them would NOT work) a real theatre experience, focusing on the heart of the story. Also the ethnic flavour of the composers (A.R. Rahman from India and the group Varttina from Finland) seemed promising in that the result was unlikely to be typical Broadway OR a Shore derivative. I knew I had to see and hear this for myself. So I got tickets as soon as they came on sale. They were saying then that it would open on February 2nd, and no one was calling the performances before March 23rd previews then. My two daughters and I got tickets for February 5th because we wanted to go to a Sunday matinee. Needless to say, when
[arr] LOTR Musical review - 3
Overall, the play was incredible. I was afraid that by having the addition of dance and song, that they would make JRR Tolkien's classic become tacky, but it was far from it. Each of the songs blended in beautifully. From Galadriel's (Rebecca Jackson Mendoza) awe-inspiring Lothlorien to the group dance sequence at the Prancing Pony, I didn't find myself once asking myself why is that song now or what was up with the dancing. You're taken in by the sets, the music, the power, the drama that you barely notice that Frodo is taller than Gimli and that Gandalf looks like he's been starved half to death. cheers Krish http://musicals.net/forums/viewtopic.php? t=46089postdays=0postorder=ascstart=15 The night started off upon entering the theatre. As soon as you walk through the doors, you are greeted with a massively impressive set, and a dozen hobbits playing on the stage. The stage itself had a giant gold ring that had knotted roots coming out from it, spreading on the walls and out into the theatre. The hobbits, who were doing various things, seemed to mostly be hunting for fireflies. Pippin and Merry (it seemed) were trying to get one that was too high up for their net, and too far out for Sam to get a hold of. So one left the stage and came back with a larger net, which still didn't work. The second went and got a very long pole with a very small net on the end, but it got the job done. As each hobbit caught various fireflies that flew around the set (the were lights on wires that shut off when caught and a light in the hobbits hand would turn on) they would then pass it onto an older hobbit that would carefully place them in a jar. Once the stage cleared and the hobbits settled, the older Hobbit stood next to the giant ring and on the count of three, threw open the jar, letting the fireflies out behind the ring. Thus started the play. It started with plenty of narration accompanied by a silhouette performane by Bilbo Baggins (Cliff Saunder) and Gollum (Michael Therriault). It quickly went through their story as it was in The Hobbit. Once the set lifted, Bilbo's party began where they also quickly went through the party and his dissapearance. The actual play did not begin until the floor of the set turned and you were suddenly pulled into Frodo's (James Loye) home. From there, you met Sam (Peter Howe) and Gandalf (Brent Carver) who put a smile on your face just to see them. Howe had a perfect Cockney accent for Sam and was just as endearing and you would expect him to be. Carver, on the other hand, was a big dissapointment. For a big-time seasoned Canadian actor, you have this kind of standard for him, especially since he was taking on a very important role in this story. His physical acting wasn't my issue; it was his voice. The whole time he spoke in this monotone that really began to irritate me. His sentances ran together and it lost all emotion and wisdom that he should be portraying with a character like Gandalf. I understand that he has a lot to say in a short amount of time, but at least put some feeling into it! I want to know that you're a wise old wizard, not a crotchty old man on a mission. To save from revealing too much of the story for you, let me hit some higlights and some lowlights. Overall, the play was incredible. I was afraid that by having the addition of dance and song, that they would make JRR Tolkien's classic become tacky, but it was far from it. Each of the songs blended in beautifully. From Galadriel's (Rebecca Jackson Mendoza) awe-inspiring Lothlorien to the group dance sequence at the Prancing Pony, I didn't find myself once asking myself why is that song now or what was up with the dancing. Even the fights were worth dropping your jaw at. You may wonder how they were going to make a massive crowd of orc or men appear, but they did it! Using some carefully timed tricks, you got the feeling that many hundreds of orcs were running around the steps of the tower or men who died appearing at another part of the stage ready to fight again, you really felt that the cast was bigger than it actually was. Everything in this play was big. Treebeard and the Ents were big. Albiet, a little dissapointing when you see a man on 20 foot stilts and he only has a farmers cap on his head. The Balrog was big. His silhouette came through the chaos of smoke and ash (black confetti) being blown into the audience and a powerful orange light shining in your face. Even the sets and costumes were big, in the grande sense of the word, not the physical size. This made it all the more easy to become captured into. For a while in the first act I was completely taken in by their world, only pausing for a moment when something not quite right happened. A torch didn't stay lit, and since when was Gandlaf okay with touching the ring? You're taken in by the sets, the music, the power, the drama that you barely notice that
[arr] LOTR Musical review - 4
In my humble opinion, the music, especially the hobbits', was very good. The play opens with a jaunty hobbit dance. A version of The Road Goes Ever On propels the hobbits on their journey through the Old Forest. Frodo's song at Bree was fun too. I especially liked Frodo and Sam's song about the old stories as they approach Mount Doom. http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/printthread.php?t=9236 I saw the Lord of the Rings play in Toronto on Saturday the 11th (1:00 matinee). Admittedly, I had many misgivings about this, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The play lasted 4 hours, and might have gone longer had it not been for a glitch in the Helm's Deep set. After two failed attempts, the scene finally had to be scratched. Then we heard a quick synopsis of what we'd missed before the play picked up with the next scene. It is my understanding that the play is still in the process of working out some bugs before its official opening. That's OK with me, I'm glad I got to see this early version so I can compare it to the next production I see. (Yes, I would definitely see it again!) OK, I will be writing some spoilers from this point on, so continue at your own peril. The lighting and stage effects were fabulous. The first act ends with the Balrog at the bridgeit will blow you away! ;) The ringwraiths were very well done, as were the effects used to portray them being swept away at the ford. The paths of the dead effects were pretty darn good, too! Lothlorien was beautifully staged, although I did kind of wonder about Galadriel's headgearit took a little getting- used tobut she gave Sam the box of dust instead of a rope, so I forgave her her hat! There were so many more really cool effects, I just can't think of all of them right now. In my humble opinion, the music, especially the hobbits', was very good. The play opens with a jaunty hobbit dance. A version of The Road Goes Ever On propels the hobbits on their journey through the Old Forest. Frodo's song at Bree was fun too. I especially liked Frodo and Sam's song about the old stories as they approach Mount Doom. The play also included a few iconic moments that Jackson ignored. Frodo's You shall have neither the ring nor me! is spoken at the ford. Bilbo participates in the Council of Elrond, and assumes he should take the ring and end the business he started. Also Verily, I come to you and Take off the ring is in at Amon Hen. Near the end of the play Arwen gives Frodo the Evenstar jewel. And, yes! the Scouring of the Shire is in! All in all, the hobbits in the play were more like the hobbits we all know and lovenot the helpless bumblers of the film version. This play is a very ambitious undertaking and one must keep in mind that it is THEATRE, not literature or film. So it should not come as a surprise that some characters are out, and some are combined. For example, Faramir and Eomer are nowhere to be seen, and Eowyn's part is very truncated (in fact, if you didn't know the story, you might miss her significance in the final battle). There were no eagles. Grima Wormtongue was out, but Bill Ferny is Sharky's henchman in the Shire. The Lord of the Nazgul speaks the lines of the Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gates. Much of the drama from the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, such as Theoden's and the Lord of the Nazgul's deaths, occurs at the Black Gates. I thought this to be an understandable combination, but I'm still a little grumpy about Eowyn's lack of lines here. (I really, really wanted her to say Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion. Leave the dead in peace!) Oh, yes! The man who played Gollum was marvelous! I think if Andy Serkis were to see him, he'd agree with me. And, Legolas was dark-haired! Now, as long as everybody understands that I really liked this play, and will see it again if I ever get the chance, I am going to do a little grumbling. I don't think Brent Carver played Gandalf in the matinee performance I sawat least, I hope not because this actor was the weakest performer in the play. He kept hesitating in the middle of his lines as if he was trying to remember them. Very distracting. If he was Brent Carver, he doesn't deserve any of the above praise written about him. Speaking of Gandalf, he doesn't come back when he's supposed to. Aragorn inspires Theoden to rise up and fight. Gandalf apparently doesn't come back until the Battle of Helm's Deep which, as I said before, we didn't get to see. Also, Sauron was consistently pronounced sore on, which drove me crazy, too. I was disappointed with the Shelob staging. It was OK, but I thought it could have been better. I felt the same way about Mount DoomI expected more flash and spectacle there. The Bridge of Khazad Dum scene was much better, and I guess I expected Mount Doom to outshine it. And one final, picky little thing: Sam did not say Well, I'm back. I will come back and write more if I think
[arr] Second Sivaji still uploaded
sivaji%20Still2.jpg in Files section. This one is out of the world !!! Thanks to rajinidotcom yahoogroup :-) Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Know an art music fan? Make a donation in their honor this holiday season! http://us.click.yahoo.com/VwqHaC/.VHMAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] (Semi-arr) India's Kaleidescope plans Hindu conquest
Variety is usually reliable. Now, is arr involved in this ? cheers Krish http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117932402?categoryid=13cs=1 India's Kaleidescope plans Hindu conquest Three feature films, over 100 hours of TV p'gramming to tell 'Mahabharata' tale By PATRICK FRATER India producer Bobby Bedi's Kaleidoscope Films will produce an adaptation of Hindu epic tale The Mahabharata. Story of the Bharata dynasty and set in 3,000 B.C., text is the second-longest poem in history and is sacred to Hindus. Bedi plans to film it as three feature movies and over 100 hours of TV programming that will be delivered by the end of 2007. It will also lend itself to video and mobile games content. Budget is pegged at $30 million-$35 million, with a third expected to be raised from Indian sources. Bedi, who last produced The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey, is seeking the backing of those Hollywood studios that have existing broadcast interests as well as film ambitions in India. Production will be on a mammoth scale and require some deft political negotiations. As an incentive to attract regional backing, Bedi expects to build a massive permanent stage that will be donated to whichever local state becomes home to the production. While Kaleidoscope is understood to be amassing a cast of Indian superstars -- according to local Indian reports, that includes thesps Khan, Rani Mukerji and Shah Rukh Khan and helmer Mani Ratnam -- Bedi is focusing on production design features. First level is the use of Indian designers and facilitators, Bedi said. We have a huge advantage as nobody really knows what these people looked like, so we can invent a lot to suit our own needs. Weaponry is currently being developed by a world top-five games company with a view to creating a digital asset that we can use in other media. Bedi says that project will have a film-sequel-prequel chronology similar to The Godfather, with further backstory and flashbacks destined for TV. If we do this well enough, every family in India will own a DVD, says Bedi. Many Indian families already own the DVD set from a long-running TV series. With a budget that is unprecedented in India, production is expected to use sophisticated financial techniques including bank loans and completion bonding. Bedi owns a quarter of Film Completion Services, India's first bonding company, a joint venture with Los Angeles-based Film Finances. Film adaptations of the classic tale have been made on at least five previous occasions, with the earliest in 1920, but few have attempted to cover as much ground as the Bedi effort. There was also the 1988- 1990 TV series by B.R. Chopra and Ravi Chopra. Helmer Rituparno Ghosh, whose recent film Antar mahal screened at the Locarno fest, is understood to be basing his new film Draupadi, on only a single Mahabharata episode. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Toronto's 'Rings' sings on epic scale
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117931889?categoryid=15cs=1 Posted: Sun., Oct. 30, 2005, 6:00am PT Toronto's 'Rings' sings on epic scale 55-member cast will have nine weeks of rehearsal By RICHARD OUZOUNIAN TORONTO -- It's a really big show, Mr. Frodo, sir. From the initial announcement of its C$27 million ($23 million) budget and international co-production, it was always obvious that the stage version of The Lord of the Rings wasn't going to be an intimate sort of event. But now that full rehearsals have finally begun, the exact size and scope of the enterprise are becoming clearer. And it's even larger than many people had anticipated. The Kevin Wallace Prodn., presented by Wallace and Saul Zaentz, in association with David and Ed Mirvish and Michael Cohl, is operating out of a film studio near the waterfront because no conventional theater space can house the sprawling activities. Some of the 55-member cast actually began work four weeks ago on special skills, to train them for the stilt work, combat activity, etc., that the show will demand. For the rest of the ensemble, Oct. 24 began the first of nine weeks of rehearsal before they head into the Princess of Wales Theater for an unprecedented (for Canada) 5½-week period of onstage technical preparation. After that, there will be eight weeks of previews, starting Feb. 2, with the gala opening set for March 23. In all, 531 people are working under the overall direction of Matthew Warchus to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's world of Middle-Earth to the stage. In addition to the cast (headed by Tony winner Brent Carver as Gandalf), that figure includes an orchestra of 18, conducted by Rick FoxRick Fox, and a running crew currently anticipated at 40. There will be 519 elaborate costumes, encompassing everything from wizards to elves with, of course, the beloved hobbits represented prominently as well. But, without question, the most spectacular single element of Rings is its set, designed by Rob Howell. The structure is a giant revolve, consisting of three interconnected turntables, containing 17 separate lifts, with a total weight of 40 metric tons. Some of the set was pre-built in the U.K. and it took 20 massive 40 ft. super-cube containers to get it across the Atlantic. The production is now being billed as an epic or a play with music, rather than a conventional musical. Its score is by the Finnish group Varttina, Indian composer A.R. Rahman and British musical supervisor Christopher Nightingale. The final product is estimated to run 3½ hours with two intermissions. In another unconventional move, members of the Toronto company of Rings have already filmed a television commercial, which will launch on Nov. 28. Usually, such support follows after the show has opened. The Toronto tourism market may be hoping that Rings will be the largest hit in the city's history, but is already taking comfort in the fact that it's clearly the biggest show. Date in print: Mon., Oct. 31, 2005, Weekly Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Research papers
Seems this guy - JOSEPH M. GETTER - has done quite some research on arr's music. would be great if we could get these papers. http://jgetter.web.wesleyan.edu/cv.html A New Sound for a Globalizing India? National Identity in A. R. Rahman's Music. Annual meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology / Musical Intersections Conference, Toronto. 2000. Indian Film Music: An Introduction with a Focus on the Music of A.R. Rahman. Research Day, Research and Scholarship Advisory Committee, Southern Connecticut State University. 2000. cheers Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Bombay Theme in one more compilation
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/- /B0009S2TMK/ref=ase_echoes/102-5579313-5881747?v=glances=music review here http://www.echoes.org/picks.html It's been 40 years since Ravi Shankar, transcendental meditation and tandoori chicken have become part of the world's popular consciousness. In that span, cross-pollination has been rampant. A.R. Rahman, best known for his Bollywood scores, opens the album with a serene orchestrated alap of sorts that acts as a passage from the west into the east. But once the passage is open, anything goes. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] 'Gana kaladhar' ARR
Photograph of Sri. Sivaji Ganesan conferring the title 'Gana kaladhar' on Sri. A.R. Rehman, man of magic rhythms. here: http://www.bharatkalachar.com/growth3.htm cheers Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] ARR pic
Never seen ARR laugh so big. Also seems ARR has been associated with Save the Children India for quite some time; not just for this tsunami project. http://www.blonnet.com/2004/01/20/stories/2004012001691700.htm cheers Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Re: [Semi-arr] Anyone wants 2 sample Värttinä music
Hi, Im really interested in varttina. I used to listen to their 30 sec bits in a loop as I couldnt get full length versions. Pls post me the songs at krishnan.raghavan @ gmail.com. alternatively, u could upload them somewhere and give me a link. thanks Krish --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, popeye_prakk [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I am fan of ARR(so i am here) but Värttinä are 1 of my favourites too.Now both of them are working on something which is close to my heart (LOTR) If anybody is very curious to listen or feel the music of Värttinä then I can upload their free songs (these are not pirated songs, they are available on net for their promotion on the net).Although i hav 8 cds of varttina only 6 songs max(im confused whether 5th or 6th is available on net so both ) can be uploaded as these can be found on the net at diffent places. So if interested then reply to this (wher to upload) or mail me mail me at [EMAIL PROTECTED]/hotmail.com Songs available on net: 1)Oi Dai(their 1st song which made them hit like Roja) 2)Kyla Vuotti uuta Kutta(their most loved song by finnish ppl) 3)Aijjo(1st song arr heard of varttina --i read this somewhere) 4)Sepan Poika 5)Laiska 6)Katariina (i dunno wat is available on net so both) all the above are full songs not 30 secs samples *** ** * I also have recorded the streaming audio from the lotr site which u may have by now.it consists of 2 parts 1st one is guaranteed by arr 2nd part has vocals from varttina-lead by Mari kaasinen and background score i thnk co composed by arr varttina - After long time the lotr website has a few more things to read in their diaries.ARR ARRIVAL FRM INDIA AFTER RAIDS TO LONDON IS MENTIONED I THNK FOR THE OCT.24TH REHEARSAL STARTING DAY.generally the reheasal photographs of musical are out for media only and the publicist does see to it that these photos are published.But till now no photos of rehearsal.Its been a week now since they started rehearsing. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Between Heaven and Earth Review
was revisiting this album and then googled. Here is an interesting review. More related links at the end of this mail. http://hometown.aol.com/musbuff/page74.htm BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH 15 Tracks [Total Time = 51:09] Music composed by A.R. Rahman. Czech Film Orchestra and Chorus, Matt Dunkley, Conductor. Solo instrumentalists: Martin Robertson (Duduk); Won On Yuen (Erhu); Chou Boon Chong (Dizi); S. Silvamani (Taiko Drums Percussion); Raja Tirupathi Kumar Vuuri (additional percussion); Noreen Kumar (Flute); Vaclav Sykora (Recorder). Solo vocalists: Sadhana Sargam (Warriors of Peace - Hindi lyrics by Mehboob Alam); Sunitha Sarathy (Warriors of Peace - English lyrics by BlaaZe). Executive Producer: Paul Cremo. AR Manager: Alison Riach. Art Direcftion and Design by Chris Austopchuck and Detchapat Arttasan. Recorde on June 13-20, 2003 at Sahara Sound Ltd.; London: Rudolfinum Sono Studios; Prague: Panchathan Record-Inn, Chenn. Sony Classical SK 92494 Rating: ***1/2 After all the media attention given to Rahman, I was expecting something really spectacular on this CD. In a recent article in TIME Magazine (3 May 2004), Allah Rakha Rahman [his name at birth was: A.S. Dileep Kumar] is called The Mozart of Madras. That is such foolishness! It is simply unfair to compare this young Indian composer to one of the greatest classical music geniuses of all time. They come from totally different backgrounds and traditions. But Rahman is probably more popular than Mozart today, at least in Bombay and other South Asian locations. At only 38, his music has sold more than 40 million units worldwide. Thanks to the encouragement of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, who called him a melodic genius, Rahman wrote a musical titled BOMBAY DREAMS, his first Western theatrical success which has run for several years in London. For this first CD using symphonic orchestra and ethnic instruments, Rahman has drawn from his score to the Chinese film, WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. This is an album of both delights and disappointments. It features a combination of Western and Asian styles, using traditional orchestra and ethnic instruments. This isn't the first time such a combination has been employed. Tan Dun did it successfully in CROCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, and so did Zhao Jiping in his Electric Shadows compilation. The music on BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH provides enough to keep things moving along, if not always leading to enthralling listening. Many of the tracks don't allow for much expansion of ideas. The Golden Era (3:56), starts off very nicely with a solo flute playing a flavorful ethnic theme, followed by the orchestra and wordless chorus. It's a good beginning to the CD. The next track has the song that Rahman wrote for the WARRIORS OF HEAVEN AND EARTH soundtrack. The song is titled Warriors in Peace and is recorded in both a Hindi version (track 2, 4:45) and English version (track 15, 4:31). I didn't care much for the song, but it may interest those who want to have alternate versions. The whispery voice at the beginning of the song makes it even less appealing. No song lyrics are provided in the CD flyer. This is unfortunate since it is difficult to understand what is being sung. At least the English lyrics would have been helpful. On this collection there are a wide diversity of forces used by Rahman. One is chant, as heard on Lord An's Empire (track 3, 3:31). The singers are accompanied by drums and percussion and the constant repetition may seem pleasing or not depending on your interest in this sort of world music. I didn't find it very memorable. Another technique is the use of a solo instrument to introduce the theme. This is so on the track titled Water (track 4, 3:52), featuring the mesmerizing solo music of the duduk. I've always been drawn to the sounds of lower instruments. For me, this track is very expressive. I believe it's the best one on the CD. After this highly emotional music, the next track sinks into overblown rhythmic tedium. It's titled Horses (2:27), and features wordless chorus and drums, and unfortunately reminded me a bit of James Horner's less than stellar music. What does the title represent? The connection between the titles and the music are not explained in the CD flyer. Next comes a beautiful track titled, Mountains (1:49), featuring solo flute and orchestra. Such a shame it's so brief. As already mentioned, this CD alternates between Western and Eastern styles. Besides the good ones already mentioned, there are also Blue Light and The Monk and the Miracle (tracks 10-11). These offer more soothing sounds and have much to savor and enjoy. There is also a track taken from the Chinese film (track 14, 4:27) which is a nice addition. Two tracks highlighting Chinese instruments, Dacoit Duel and Lai Chi (tracks 7-8) were not to my liking but may appeal to those who
[arr] ARR with Czech Film Orchestra
great pictures http://www.czechfilmorchestra.com/CFO_photos.htm cheers Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra
google rocks :-) cheers Krish http://bbcp.org.uk/PHP/news.php?newsid=55 BBCP IN TALKS WITH A R RAHMAN LONDON, 31 March 2005 The BBCP was approached by A R Rahman, a celebrated Bollywood composer and the composer of a terrific musical show `Bombay Dreams' with regards to a possibility of engaging the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra (SPO) on a project for the new film he is composing the music for. Mr Rahman showed a lot of interest in the SPO having heard selected numbers sent to him by the general director of the SPO Mr Emir Nuhanovic. The project will entail engagement of the SPO for a number of days and all rehearsals will be performed in Sarajevo. The talks will resume in April and the scheduled dates will be further discussed Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Life without art music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Variety Reviews 'Water'
Though occasionally overbearing, Mychael Danna's lush score mixes well with a half-dozen strong songs by prominent Indian composer A.R. Rahman, showcased in nicely handled montage sequences. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117928099?categoryid=31cs=1 Water (Canada) A Mongrel Media release (in Canada)/Fox Searchlight release (in U.S.) of a David Hamilton production. (International sales: Celluloid Dreams, Paris.) Produced by David Hamilton. Executive producers, Mark Burton, Ajay Virmani, Doug Mankoff, Hamilton. Directed, written by Deepa Mehta. Shakuntala - Seema Biswas Kalyani - Lisa Ray Narayan - John Abraham Chuyia - Sarala Madhumati - Manorama Patiraji, aka Auntie - Vidula Javalgekar Gulabi - Raghuvir Yadav Sadananda - Kulbushan Kharbanda Rabindra - Vinay Pathak By EDDIE COCKRELL advertisement Sarala, foreground, plays the young widow Chuyia in Deepa Mehta's 'Water.' Film Jobs Audio Room Producer, Los Angeles, CA United States Fox Networks Group Vice President - Communications, TLC, Silver Spring, MD Discovery Communications Manager, Finance, Los Angeles, CA New Regency Productions More film jobs powered by BOX OFFICE TOP TEN Sponsored by: Weekly: Sep. 2 - 8, 2005* in millions1 The Transporter 2 $22.9 2 The 40 Year Old Virgin $19.1 3 The Constant Gardener $12.6 4 Red Eye $10.6 5 The Brothers Grimm $10.3 6 Four Brothers $7.3 7 Wedding Crashers $6.8 8 March of the Penguins $6.3 9 The Skeleton Key $4.6 10 The Cave $4.3 view full chart view box office news Deftly balancing epic sociopolitical scope with intimate human emotions, all polished to a high technical gloss, Deepa Mehta's Water is a profoundly moving drama about an 8-year-old Hindu widow sent to live in an Indian ashram with other widows who, in strict adherence with Hindu texts, are condemned to the same outcast fate. Final pic in helmer's thematically linked but dramatically unrelated Elemental Trilogy (1996's Fire, 1998's EarthEarth), this deeply satisfying film will flow from plum opening-night slot at Toronto fest to upscale arthouse berths beginning Nov. 4 in Canada via Mongrel Media. Fox SearchlightFox Searchlight can expect a similar welcome Stateside. Incredibly, pic shows no signs of being the second pass at production following a 2000 shutdown in the wake of on-set riots sparked by Hindu fundamentalists who objected to the film's portrayal of child widows' being prostituted. Rather, it appears that this strife, which prompted recasting and reshooting on locations in Sri Lanka under a fake production title, has toughened Mehta's focus. Gone is the tendency toward heart-on-the-sleeve emotions that marred both her previous trilogy entries and interim pics Bollywood/HollywoodBollywood/Hollywood and The Republic of Love. Sentimentality is replaced here by a deep passion and calm confidence in the power inherent in this startling story (closing title card claims 2001 Indian census lists some 34 million widows). In 1938 India, as the progressive ideas of Mahatma Gandhi are working their way across the country, young Chuyia (Sarala) is told by her distraught father that the older man to whom she's been married has died following an illness. Do you remember getting married? he asks her gently. NoNo is the solemn reply. The girl is promptly sent to a widows' home, but the unfamiliarity of her surroundings doesn't suppress the child's natural spunkiness and unforced charm. She soon settles in to ashram life among the 14 other widows, all of whom are shunned by society. Their house is ruled by the huge, foul- tempered Madhumati (Manorama), who smokes pot in the evening while condemning Gandhi's policies with local pimp and hermaphrodite Gulabi (Raghuvir Yadav). Together, Madhumati and Gulabi prostitute the beautiful young widow Kalyani (Lisa Ray), offering her to the rich Brahmins across the river; when she's not working, Kalyani prays to Krishna and shares her forbidden puppy with Chuyia. Much quieter is middle-aged Shakuntala (Seema Biswas), to whom Chuyia gravitates. When handsome and idealistic lawyer Narayan (John Abraham) helps Chuyia corral the puppy after it escapes, an escalating romance is sparked between him and Kalyani that eventually destabilizes the dynamic in the house, with tragic consequences. An unerringly stately pace infuses these characters with a quiet dignity that elevates the material and holds pic together across a running time that flirts with the overlong. Cast is terrific, highlighted at either end of the generation gap by newcomer Sarala's innocent resilience and an utterly charming turn by Vidula Javalgekar as an elderly, sweets-obsessed widow known as Auntie. Though in the background for much of the film, Biswas becomes a force in the third act: Her climactic, frantic handing-off of Chuyia to Narayan on a train to freedom that Gandhi himself is riding on, and her final gaze back at the life to
[arr] Mongrel Media on 'Water'
The background score for the film was created by the incomparable Mychael Danna whose compositional scope provided the range to deal with reflective and intimate scenes involving one or two characters as well as those of more epic proportions with thousands of extras. The Indian songs, which are utilized as background for many scenes, were composed by A.R. Rahman, India#146;s most accomplished and lauded film composer. Danna had worked with Rahman before and took great pleasure in merging Rahman#146;s songs with his own background score so as to create a seamless soundscape. http://www.mongrelmedia.com/press/Water/press_kit.doc Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Life without art music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Deepa Mehta interview
Trial by Water Deepa Mehta raised Hindu hackles in India with latest film Finally made in Sri Lanka, Water opens film festival today http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer? pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1call_pageid=971358637177c=Artic lecid=1126131012664 SUSAN WALKER ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER Did you cry? Deepa Mehta wants to know. The director of Water says she still cries, even though she's seen her film many times. After 10 years, from conception through a cancelled production in India to a successful shoot in Sri Lanka, Water is now outside her, up on the screen. The movie opens the Toronto International Film Festival tonight with a gala screening at Ryerson Theatre. Mehta was in the Indian holy city of Varanasi when she saw a Hindu woman bent like a shrimp, her body wizened with age, white hair shaved close to her scalp looking for something she'd lost on the steps of the Ganges. This sight gave her the idea for what was to become the Indian-born director's eighth feature film. It is an 8-year-old girl, her head shaved to the scalp in one of the opening scenes, that is likely to become the indelible image for viewers of Water. The child does not even recall the marriage to her much older husband, who has just died. She has no concept of widowhood before she's placed in an ashram full of white-gowned, cloistered widows, some of them very old. Originally a girl in India played the part. But after extremist Hindu protestors wrecked the set in Varanasi in 2000, the production was shut down. Water was finally made in 2004 in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, Mehta auditioned girls in the south coast village of Galle to find her Chuyia, the child widow. Sarala, now 9, could speak neither English nor Hindi. She had never acted before. I had to learn Sinhalese, and I became very good at sign language, says Mehta, relaxed and happy now, and conducting interviews in her midtown back garden. But she's such a bright kid that it was a cinch. She's an intelligent, intense child. Nothing from the aborted two-day shoot in India remained in the film, she says. The first scene we shot was of the little girl having her head shaved. She's 12 now. Based in Toronto, but frequently found in India, where her parents live, Mehta may be the only living filmmaker to have had herself burned in effigy. Such rage has been aroused by two of the three films in her Fire, Earth and Water trilogy, that her name is enough to inflame radical religious factions. With Water, she says, They (fundamentalist Hindus) didn't know what it was really about. They felt that in some way Hindu widows really have an opportunity to do something good by becoming segregated. By questioning that, I'm (considered to be) defaming Hindu culture. It's not true at all because this is not what pure Hinduism is all about. Nor is it what the movie is about, according to the director. The nucleus of Water is the conflict between faith and our conscience, she says. That conflict is most played out in the role of Shakuntala, a quiet widow of middle age played by Seema Biswas, an Indian stage actor, who made her film debut in Bandit Queen. I've never worked with such a fine actor in my life, says Mehta, praising her performance as the widow who is the most devout Hindu and also Chuyia's protector. Chuyia befriends Kalyani, the only widow in the ashram who has retained her long hair. She is played by the gorgeous, Toronto-born Lisa Ray, the star of Mehta's 2002 musical film Bollywood/Hollywood. John Abraham is Narayan, the Gandhi follower who falls in love with Kalyani. Abraham holds an M.B.A., and has landed immigrant status in Canada. He was first spotted in India as a model and is now a huge Bollywood star. His arrival at the Toronto airport on Monday was no secret to the 50 or 60 teenage girls who came out to greet him with screams of delight. Mehta won't pretend to be anything but thrilled with the position her film has earned in the Toronto festival. Water is the favourite of her features, she says, It the least self- conscious of my films. No pun intended the trial by fire that I went through in 2000 really cleansed a lot of stuff that I didn't need for the film. Now that Fox Searchlight has picked up U.S. distribution rights for a spring release, a lot of the anxiety over the film's reception is removed. Mehta can concentrate on her next script: a drama based on the 1914 Komagata Maru incident. A ship carrying Sikhs from India and Sri Lanka was refused entry into Vancouver. It is an amazing story, she says, with a look of excitement over a new creative voyage. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Life without art music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy
[arr] Toronto Star reviews 'Water'
A powerful mix of conflict, history, religious intolerance SUSAN WALKER ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER Water is framed by two statements that open and close the film. One is from a Hindu text about the obligations of a wife to her husband. The other reports that there were 34 million widows in India as of the 2001 census, many of them living in horrible conditions. The story that Deepa Mehta tells in Water concerns Hindu widows who occupy an ashram in a holy city, Rawalpur, on the banks of the Ganges River. The year is 1938. The ashram is like a convent, except that the devotees did not arrive there of their own accord. Chuyia is an 8-year-old who's informed of the death of her middle- aged husband. You do you remember getting married don't you? her father asks. The child shakes her head. She cries when her father takes her to a walled-in house for widows where she's to spend the rest of her life. In traditional Hinduism, a wife is considered to be half of her husband. When he dies, she is half dead. The 14 sequestered widows in Water range in age from 8 to 80-something. They wear white saris, their hair is closely cropped. On their foreheads they paint gold emblems that look like tuning forks. They eat one meal a day. A barber shaves off Chuyia's hair. The little girl, confidently stating that her mother is soon coming to take her home, does not adjust to life in the ashram. She does not accept the authority of Madhumati, the 70-year-old widow who is the mother superior. Chuyia calls her Fatty and grimaces when she's giving the old broad a massage by walking on her back. Madhumati doesn't deprive herself; she eats extravagantly and gossips daily with a eunuch, Gulabi, who dresses like a woman and acts as a pimp. A pimp's services are required because Madhumati earns money by prostituting one of the widows, the beautiful Kalyani. She wears her hair long, lives in quarters apart from the others, and befriends Chuyia. All of the women suffer, but none so much as Shakuntala, who in addition to enduring poverty and imposed silence is a devout Hindu trying to make sense of her life through her religion. She is the one who takes on the tutelage and care of Chuyia, a stubborn student who wants to know Where is the house of Men-Widows? Across the river lies a mansion where two adult brothers live with their parents. One is Rabindra, an anglophile, who likes the English for their whiskey and their poetry. His lawyer brother Narayan is a follower of Mahatma Ghandi, whose campaign to liberate India from the English is just gathering steam. Walking down the street one day, Narayan meets Kalyani and is immediately stricken by Kalyani's beauty. There can be little question of her status, one that his wealthy parents would of course shun. Told in Hindi with English subtitles, it's a story that pulls at the heart like the moon over night waters. Mehta has concocted a potent mix of politics, historical conflict, religion and philosophical questioning. Water is the third and final film in a series that began in the present with Fire and proceeded to Earth, in which she related a family saga showing tensions that gave rise to the partition of India in 1947. As in those works, she weaves a compelling tale with cinematic beauty and spoken wit: There are moments for laughter even in Water. Lisa Ray gives a subtle performance as Kalyani opposite John Abraham as the serious-minded Narayan. Sri Lankan child actor Sarala captures the camera in her first acting role, with eyes like deep pools of emotion. Seema Biswas, who stunned Toronto festivalgoers in 1994's Bandit Queen, excels in the complex part of Shakuntula, the ultimate central character in the film. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Life without art music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] Google video
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22a+r+rahman%22pl=0 cheers Krish Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- Life without art music? Keep the arts alive today at Network for Good! http://us.click.yahoo.com/iuUuID/dnQLAA/n1hLAA/iyUplB/TM ~- Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] The Telegraph reviews The Rising
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml? xml=/arts/2005/08/12/bfisland12.xml The Rising (12A cert, 150 min) Most Bollywood films I've seen throw up an exhausting avalanche of drippy kitsch. But Ketan Mehta's epic, a reconstruction of the 1857 mutiny against British colonial rule in India, is a class apart: strong, stirring stuff, rarely flagging, and boasting terrifically charismatic performances. Aamir Khan is Mangal Pandey, a sepoy-turned- freedom-fighter who martyred himself rebelling against the faithlessness and contempt of the East India Co. Toby Stephens, who's rarely been better, plays a well-meaning Scottish officer who gets caught in the middle. Mehta directs with striking verve, and AR Rahman makes the musical interludes diverting. It really is excellent. Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ~-- font face=arial size=-1a href=http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=12h7am0oq/M=362335.6886442.7839733.3022183/D=grplch/S=1705331874:TM/Y=YAHOO/EXP=1124281432/A=2894366/R=0/SIG=138c78jl6/*http://www.networkforgood.org/topics/arts_culture/?source=YAHOOcmpgn=GRPRTP=http://groups.yahoo.com/;What would our lives be like without music, dance, and theater? Donate or volunteer in the arts today at Network for Good/a./font ~- This August, Discover the Birth of Your Independence and The Magic of A.R.Rahman's Music in Mangal Pandey - The Rising http://www.risingthefilm.com http://www.mangalpandeythefilm.com Music released: Jul 14, 2005 Movie releases: Aug 12, 2005 Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. Only at arrahmanfans - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com Admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/arrahmanfans/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
[arr] the music is tasteful: Toby Stephens
http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2005/08/09/toby_stephens_the_rising_intervi ew.shtml He may be the son of Dame Maggie Smith, but Toby Stephens has proved he's an accomplished actor in his own right. In addition to a stint at The Royal Shakespeare Company, TV appearances have included Cambridge Spies, Perfect Strangers and The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall. He made his movie debut in Sally Potter's Orlando in 1992 and since then has appeared in Onegin opposite Ralph Fiennes, in Possession with Gwyneth Paltrow and then became the Bond baddie in Die Another Day. His latest role sees him play a British army officer alongside Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan in The Rising - Ballad of Mangal Pandey, an epic musical about the Indian mutiny of 1857. For someone with a background in British theatre and television, it's quite a brave move acting in a Bollywood film. What made you accept the project? It happened really the same way as any other job happens. I got sent The Rising script by my agent, read it, and loved it. I then met with the director Ketan Mehta, auditioned on tape, and a month later he came back and offered it to me. I then met Aamir Khan who approved me. Next I waited nine months for the thing to get made. At one point I thought it wasn't going to happen. My American agent thought I was insane. I had just had the Bond film released and I knew I wanted to do something completely different and more challenging. I didn't want to end up playing baddies for the rest of my life, which was what Hollywood seemed to be offering at that time. Are you glad it did happen? God yeah! For me it was a real experience. To make a film in India, work with Indian actors and filmmakers, and to experience the culture was extraordinary. The fact it was a historical film about the British in India and what happened there was a real eye opener. I went to public school and grew up with a sense of Empire even in the 70s and 80s, and this gave me a different perspective. The idea of us, the British, being some sort of benign, educating force suddenly seemed to be a load of rubbish. It was a company running a country. I mean how twisted was that? It made me quite ashamed of our history. Tell us more about your character Captain William Gordon. Gordon is a complex moral character. He's seen as a working Scot and a captain but that's as far as he's going to go in the military hierarchy. There's also a sense of him being an outsider looking in and beginning to question what the British East Indian Company is all about through his friendship with Indian infantryman Mangal Pandey. Just like Mangal Pandey was a real life historical figure, there was a Scottish captain named William Gordon who during the mutiny went over to the other side and fought against the British. He ended up dying on the walls of Delhi fighting against his own army. What message is The Rising trying to convey? What's important about this film is that it's showing what happened in India. The veracity of whether there was any pig or cow fat on the kartoos (gun cartridges) is irrelevant (the Indian sepoys were forced to go against their religion and bite the casings of the cartridges, which later triggered the mutiny). What is relevant is that it shows that the British basically took over a country for commercial reasons and then rode rough shod over their belief system and culture. I think the Brits should look at it and say Christ, thousands of Indians and British died in the mutiny and its something we need to understand. What kind of research did you do have to do for your role? I had to go away and read a lot around the subject of the Indian mutiny of 1857, which I really enjoyed. I love doing projects that are educating as well. It's up to the script writer and director to get the historical facts as right as possible, but as an actor I needed to know what it would have been like to be a soldier during that time, what my daily routine would have been, and just a sense of what we were doing in India at the time. Although 70 per cent of The Rising is in English, there's a fair amount of spoken Hindi. How did you cope having to learn a new language? I learned tracts of Hindi and Urdu for my role. But the fact that I'm playing a Scottish officer who would have spoken the language with a bad accent certainly helped! Did the fact that The Rising is a Bollywood film fascinate or frighten you? It was something that kind of made me nervous in the beginning. When I read the script and really liked it, the casting director, who was a huge fan of Aamir's, told me to watch Lagaan to give me a sense of what his work and Indian films are like. I was just blown away by it. I have to say I was very disappointed by the English actors in it as the Indians were damn good. I thought the Brits were a bit weak but think it was down to the way the characters were written. How did you get on with your
