Backstage Interview Transcript | 81st Academy Awards
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
CATEGORY: Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score and Original Song)
INTERVIEW WITH: A.R. Rahman
FILM: “Slumdog Millionaire”
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Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. How do you think that your use of music is going to hopefully revolutionize the way music is used in Hollywood films from now on?
A. It depends on the vision of the director and what film it is. It worked well in this film because of Danny's vision of music. And so it's a teamwork, and I hope if people like this kind of style, maybe and I'll go forward with this.
Q. Hi, there. What to you are the best qualities about Indian music and particularly about the music that you might find in Mumbai? What are the best qualities?
A. Mumbai is actually rediscovering itself, its tradition, and there's contemporary [inaudible] music happening. But it's got a wealth of extraordinary musical culture; different states have different [unintelligible]. And there's a .1 percent this work of this work is available. I think there's a huge pressure there.
Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. One of your the other nomination you had for Best Song you had a cowriter MIA. I wondered if you could talk about whether she was able whether there's any talk about her performing with you tonight and how that all
A. There was. And I think there was much more important things in the life, having a baby and that that was good, actually. She took care of the baby. I wished her well.
Q. Congratulations tonight.
A. Thank you.
Q. Nice score. Were you at all worried about being up against industry veterans like James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, had you known about their music, studied their music, known much about it, did you think at all you'd ever be able to kind of crack into this industry at all?
A. I think music appeals when the film and music go together. And, of course, they have lovely scores in their movies. And I had very low expectations when I came to Oscars. But I'm really happy that it worked for me and grateful for it.
Q. Congratulations.
A. Thank you.
Q. Congratulations, and thank you.
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