MUMBAI: After a Golden Globe award for best music score for Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle’s feature film on the Mumbai underbelly, A R Rahman has now been nominated for Best Original Score, and Best Song (One each for Jai Ho and O Saya) at the Academy Awards, announced late yesterday.
It is the first international recognition for Veteran lyricist Gulzar, who has penned the lyrics for Jai ho… that has been nominated for best original song for the 81st Annual Academy Awards.
The 81st Academy Awards will be announced on 22 February at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.
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The Best Original Song category only includes three nominees: Peter Gabriel’s Down To Earth… from WALL-E and a pair of Slumdog Millionaire songs: M.I.A. and A R Rahman’s O… Saya… and Rahman’s Jai Ho….
Gulzar, who was attending the Jaipur Literature Festival when the announcements were made, expressed enormous pleasure at being internationally nominated for the first time for the British-Indian movie “Slumdog Millionaire” and said the recognition at this stage had infused fresh energy in him.
“This Academy Award nomination is also a recognition for the Indian cinema and a reassurance for my work that has given me new energy to keep going ahead”, Gulzar said at the fourth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, according to a PTI report.
Refusing to rank his latest nomination in comparison to awards and accolades he has earlier received, he said, this was his first international nomination.
Crediting the success of his song in the movie to film director Danny Boyle and music director A R Rahman, he said it was a collective effort.
“Some people behind this achievement need a special mention. First of all Boyle, who chose the composition and put them in place and Rahman whom I am very proud of,” an elated Gulzar said, adding “This has made a difference to the Indian film industry.
Praising Rahman, Gulzar said that he had high hopes from the musician, who at this young age has done the country tremendously proud.
“Slumdog Millionaire” won four Golden Globe awards and received a whopping 11 nominations for the BAFTA.
Slumdog has been nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay (Simon Beaufoy), Best Picture, Best Original Score (A R Rahman), Best Song (One each for Jai Ho and O Saya), Best editing, Best Sound Mixing (Resul Pookutty), Best Sound Editing (Resul Pookutty), Best Cinematography and Best Director (Danny Boyle) at the Oscars.
Slumdog Millionare has already bagged four coveted Golden Globes and multiple Bafta nominations.
“It’s unbelievable. We’ve got 10 nominations and three are extraordinarily special because they are for A R Rahman who is not here because he’s working on Dilli 6 in Chennai right now,” said Danny Boyle at a press conference organised in Mumbai.
This is the first time that an Indian has won more than one nomination in Oscar history. Reacting to the nominations, Rahman said: “I did not think it will get there. God has been really kind. And I have to really thank the prayers of all the people and their good wishes.
The Nominations
Best Song
Peter Gabriel, Down To Earth,… WALL-E
A R Rahman, Jai Ho,… Slumdog Millionaire
M.I.A. and A R Rahman, O… Saya,… Slumdog Millionaire.
Best Score
Alexandre Desplat , The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
James Newton Howard, Defiance
Danny Elfman, Milk
A R Rahman, Slumdog Millionaire
Thomas Newman, WALL-E.
