Amid Naatu Naatu buzz, AR Rahman recalls when Slumdog Millionaire's Jai Ho won at Oscars

A.R. Rahman recently reflected on his Oscar win in 2008 for his work in the film Slumdog Millionaire. The musical polymath won Oscars in two categories, namely Best Original Song and Best Original Score, and it was one of the proudest moments for India on a global level. Rahman said that he couldn’t fully believe the win, and questioned whether it was a dream. 

In a video posted by the official Twitter handle for the Academy Awards, A.R. Rahman recalled how he felt at the time. He said that he felt like a gladiator, seeing the massive pop from the audience as his name for the win was announced. He added that he didn’t exactly have a speech in mind, though when he saw Penelope Cruz speak in Spanish during her Oscar acceptance, he was inspired by it.

“I went to all these amazing dinners before the Oscars. But still, I was unsure, and the whole of India was cheering. I felt like, a gladiator. When they announced my name for the score, I was like, “Is this real? Or is this a dream? And because I had to perform next, I was like “A.R., don’t react. There’s this and more. Don’t mess up your performance." My speech was not prepared. Like maximum, I’d say thank you, and go off. But when I was sitting there seeing Penelope Cruz speak in Spanish, I was like, oh, that’s cool.” 

Check out the clip below. 

A.R. Rahman (@arrahman) reflects on winning the Oscar for Best Original Song and Score for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ at the 81st #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/Hry5GmTBzK

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) March 2, 2023

A.R. Rahman's message of 'optimism and hope'

When his name was announced for the win, he stated that he wanted to say something in Tamil. Rahman said, "All perfect praise belongs to God alone." He added, "I wanted to remember the God who is common to all of us.” 

As The Oscar Awards were put together against the backdrop of the economic recession, the world faced in 2008, Slumdog Millionaire felt like the most relatable story of the era. A.R. Rahman added, “the essence of the film was optimism and hope. All my life, I've had a choice of hate and love. I chose love, and I'm here.”

Speaking of Oscars 2023, India is rooting for RRR's Naatu Naatu to win the award for Best Original Song. Other Indian films that are in the run for The Academy Awards are The Elephant Whisperers and All That Breathes under the categories of Best Documentary Short Fillm and Best Documentary Feature Film, respectively.