Slumdog OSCAR-naire...and the paradox of Rahman!!!

So, Slumdog eventually won 8/10 Oscar awards it was nominated for. Most pleasing to me was AR Rahman winning 2 Oscar awards. Due recognition for a true musical genius!

Several of my friends back home are puzzled by all the fuss about this particular work of Rahman's. He has done far better work in the past they say: Bombay, Dil Se, Rangeela. Yet this recognition for Slumdog where his composition has been top-class as usual; but admittedly not his best work.

I explain this apparent paradox using a loose cricketing analogy. Its the classic difference between a beautiful, attractive innings and an effective one.

In 1999, Sachin Tendular made that famous, magnificent hundred against Pakistan in a test-match in Chennai. It remains one of the most memorable innings I have ever seen by anyone at any point in time. He played the pace of Waqar, the swing of Wasim Akram and the spinning guile of Saqlain with aplomb...all the while battling crippling back pain.

But he got out with India 16 runs from the target and the tailenders just collapsed. Pak went onto win and did a victory lap on an Indian ground. Tendulkar received the Man of the Match award but did not come out to collect it...an accepted belief is that he was just too emotional and could not leave the dressing room. A decade later, Tendy says that match still haunts him.

His next best hundred is probably the one he scored in 1992 on a scorcher of a wicket in Perth when he was just 18. India lost that match too...by 300 runs!

In contrast, the 100 he scored again England in Chennai in December 2008 to chase down nearly 400 was a steady, relatively subdued effort. But it won us a test match...and more importantly, proved that Sachin could score on a wearing 5th day pitch and chase to win test matches. It was nowhere near as brilliant as his 1992 and 1999 efforts. Not even close. But eventually, it will count for more.

Because...it was more effective at fulfilling a cricketer's basic aim: to win and to entertain.

To me, thats the difference between Rahman's better work in Rangeela, Bombay and that of Slumdog. The first set of movies targeted a purely Indian audience and frankly, only an Indian audience could have related to these movies.

Everyone can relate to Slumdog. Whatever the reason may be...lets not intellectualize that part too much...cuz frankly I dont think we really know. But one has to admit that the movie does have a global appeal: we all love a story about the underdog who braves it all and comes out on top...wins the money, wins the girl...wins it all!

And this provided Rahman with the platform that everyone keeps talking about to showcae himself. Is it ideal? No. Is it even fair? Probably not. Point is: it is.

Congratulation AR! You've made us so very proud!