Rahman-Gulzar ki Jai Ho
This composer-lyricist jodi has managed to liberate Hindi film music from the
realm of
regionalism and the borders of languages
SUBHASH K JHA
Istill remember that moment when Gulzar saab was asked by AR Rahman to
write a song for
Slumdog Millionaire. The poet par excellence had no idea about what pinnacles
he was being
asked to scale. All he knew was, his favourite composer wanted a song that
would be original,
catchy and easy to hum.
Gulzar saab came up with Jai ho. A very desi phrase that has now caught on
like wild fire
across the world. This week Rahman and Gulzar saab have liberated Hindi film
music from the
realm of regionalism, provided the freedom for a song to express itself beyond
the borders of
languages.
I am proud of what Rahman has achieved in SM. But Im more proud of his
work in Jaane Tu
Ya Jaane Na, Yuvvraaj, Jodhaa Akbar, Delhi 6 and even parts of Ghajini. Im
also proud of many
others for taking us kicking and dragging from the third-world into the first
world. I am proud
of Rahman, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan for
giving a global face
to Indian cinema.
They never have to assert their iconic status. Theyve never tried to be
global in their
aspirations. In fact SRK and AB have clearly not made Hollywood a dream
destination for their
careers. SRK has been offered everything from Deepa Mehtas Water to Danny
Boyles SM. And
AB... well watch SM and see how the script honours the desi icon.
Why must our heroes of the entertainment world shame themselves by playing
taxi-drivers,
dimestore attendants and subway commuters?
After looking at scores of hopefuls in India, Mira Nair and Danny Boyle
stepped into the
western world and got us Kal Penn and Dev Patel for The Namesake and SM.
No one could explain how a boy from the slums in SM spoke English with a
British accent.
Dharavi, I believe, has now become a favourite tourist spot for Americans who
want to see the
real India. Baap re baap! The hype surrounding SM was so overpowering it
almost became a
cognisable crime to speak against it. Who put you up to it? an angry member
of the cast asked
me. SM was the sacrosanct unquestioned temple of dhoom. The slumming we see in
SM has been done
with far more gentle
humour and non-stylised
realism by Madhur Bhandarkar in Traffic Signal. Bhandarkar didnt for once
romanticise or
filter poverty into a celebration. We are a nation of mute spectators. Any kind
of tamasha
rivets us to our place under the sky. Didnt Slumdog... prove it?
