Rousing welcome for Rahman at airport
27 Feb 2009, 0346 hrs IST, TNN
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Text:
CHENNAI: They started coming to the airport by 9 pm to welcome their hero
of the moment, A R Rahman, who was scheduled to arrive more than five hours
later.
Fans, well-wishers and gawkers gathered outside the Anna International
Airport to wait for the musician who was returning to Chennai early on
Thursday morning, after winning two Academy Awards for Best Original Score
and Best Song for Slumdog Millionaire'.
"This is a historic occasion and I do not want to miss it," said Vinay, a
student, who arrived at 9 pm because he could not get confirmation as to
when Rahman's flight was landing.
Police and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel had a hard
time controlling the enthusiastic, almost rowdy, crowd. Percussionist
Sivamani gave an impromptu performance to in front of the terminal to
entertain and control the surging crowd.
Leone, Anirudh and Vivek, who have their own band, said, "We just want to
see himit's okay if we don't get close to himand be here when he returns
from the awards ceremony. Rahman was our inspiration to start our band. We
were sure he would win."
Rahman flew from Los Angeles to London and then to Chennai via Dubai. When
he finally emerged from the airport at 2.30 pm, thousands of fans, young and
old, chanted Jai Ho!' and surged forward in an attempt to see him. People
broke into dances from dappankoothu to karagaattam as they cheered Rahman.
State minister of Information Parithi Ilamvazhuthi who was at the airport to
receive the musician on behalf of the state government was jostled about by
the waiting crowd when Rahman emerged from the arrival hall.
Obliging the roared demand from the crowd, Rahman picked up a mike handed to
him by Sivamani and shouted Jai Ho', sending his fans already overwrought
fans into delirium.
He was then whisked into a waiting car and driven to his house in
Kodambakkam. Several fans ran after the convoy, shouting Rahman, Rahman'.
More cries of Jai Ho!' rent the air as people stayed on refusing to leave
the airport.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Chennai/Rousing-welcome-for-Rahman-at-airport/articleshow/4197857.cms
--
regards,
Vithur
