Rahmans still on a high

The Mozart of Madras, A R Rahman, who won two Oscars for his score in ‘Slumdog Millonaire’ has another feather in his cap.

He’ll be awarded an honorary doctorate by Anna University, Chennai in recognition of his feat and his overall achievements. The doctorate, he’ll be awarded will be in Media Sciences.

The University Vice-Chancellor P Mannar Jawahar has said that Rahman along with space scientist Mayilsamy Annadurai and Local Administration Minister M K Stalin will be awarded the doctorates at a special convocation scheduled for March-end.

That’s not all. The music maestro was honored recently at a function organised by the Cine Musicians Union (CMU) in Chennai.

The humble genius requested music lovers not to compare his music with that of other musicians. He said he had collected the award on behalf of all the Indian musicians and that the award belonged to everybody.

He’s said there, “Though great composers such as Naushad, Ilayaraja, M.S Viswanathan, Madan Mohan and others did not get the awards, they had the love of the people, which was greater than the Oscars.”

On the other hand, K Balachander, who introduced Rahman in ‘Roja’, said that when other music composers make castles with their music, Rahman builds monuments. Ilayaraja who Rahman has always admired a lot said that he was a phenomenal musician.

Rahman also continues to seek divine intervention.

After offering prayers at a dargah in Kadapa last week after returning from the Oscar awards ceremony at Los Angeles, on Wednesday, he prayed at the Mastan Vali ‘dargah’. He said, "I have been coming here for the last 20 years. I get spiritual energy. I am grateful for the reception."

He described the shrine as an embodiment of secular values and said it was visited by hundreds of devotees from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

This guy has talent and divine intervention combined. No wonder he has everything going for him.

- SAMPURN