A.R.Rahman (Fan Club)-Part2 - Page 37

NETRU INDRU NALAI

Billed by the organisers as the 'Show of a Lifetime', the Fair & Lovely - Netru Indru Nalai musical nite, at the Indian Airlines Stadium, Meenambakkam, was definitely a star-studded event. The show produced by GSlot.com in aid of The Banyan, an NGO, was described by the comperes for the evening Revathi and Madhavan as a musical journey through more than 40 years, 4,000 movies and 40,000 songs of Tamil cinema. The show started off with a dance performance by Aishwarya Rajnikanth, daughter of Tamil superstar Rajnikanth and also ended with her doing an encore to A R Rahman's Vandemataram who made a guest appearance. Another surprise treat for the audience was the coming of Hindi film actor Aaamir Khan, who along with Revathi, sang the Aati Kya Khandala song from his movie Ghulam. Earlier in the evening, the music of the 70's was relived with some excellent performances by Sujatha and Unni Menon singing Vizhiye Kathai Ezuthu followed by Aval Oru Navarasa by SPB Charan. The audience was then enthralled by a voice, that has had them spell-bound for more than three decades - S Janaki. She sang some of her popular numbers of the 60's and 70's like Macchane Paarthingala and Senthura Poove. Then the trio of Abbas, Ramya Krishnan and Swarnamalya along with students of choreographers Kala and Brinda's dance school Kalalaya , performed a medley of dance numbers from the 60's and 70's like Lovebirds...Lovebirds, Maadi Mele Maadi, Yaaradi Nee Mohini among others. The audience enjoyed some comic relief when Parthiban came on stage before the 80's was ushered in with Sippi Irukkuthu sung by Janaki and Charan. Almost all the 80's numbers like Idaya Nila by Charan, Kanne Kalaimane by Unni Menon, Edhedho by Chitra, Andhi Mazhai by Janaki and Charan, Ninnukori by Chitra, had music composed by Ilayaraja. Abbas and Ramya were back on stage for dance numbers from the 80's, but there was disappontment for the crowd as Kushboo could not perform due to a torn ligament in her leg. While the 80's numbers were all Ilayaraja hits , the 90's had the modern musical heartthrob Rahman's numbers like Puthu Vellai Mazhai sung by Unni Menon and Sujatha, Margazhithingal by Srinivas and Janaki and Shankar Mahadevan singing Mudhalvane . Jyothika along with Abbas, had the audience swaying to a medley of fast paced 90's numbers like Macarena and Jumbalaka. All in all, it was indeed a musical journey back in time.

Source:http://www.chennaibest.com

AR RAHMAN Live in Concert 2006

Ticket Price does not include Customer Service Fee AR RAHMAN Live in Concert 2006 A.R. Rahman

A R Rahman is the man who has redefined contemporary Indian music, is the pride of the nation and a role model for millions around the world. He has sold more than 100 million copies of albums comprising of music from more than 50 movies.

Rahman is widely considered as the man who single handedly revived public interest in Indian film music in the 90s. In 1997, to commemorate 50 years of Indian independence, Rahman came out with an album, 'Vande Matram' produced by BharatBala. The timing was perfect. The Indian youth related to it and it rekindled the spirit of patriotism. Being Indian was fashionable amongst the youth again.

In 2001, Andrew Lloyd Webber, a well known composer of musicals like Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar etc invited Rahman to compose for the musical, 'Bombay Dreams' which opened to packed houses in London's West end. The show had an unprecedented run for 2 years and later premiered in NewYork's Broadway. Rahman also composed the score for a Chinese film, 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' and a piece for the award winning violinist/musician Vannesa Mae called 'Raga's Dance.' Rahman is currently working on the stage version of J R R Tolkien's 'Lord of The Rings' , which will premiere in Toronto, Canada in 2006.

Rahman's forthcoming projects include Godfather, AhAah in Tamil and The Rising, Water, Rang De Basanti in Hindi.

Besides this, Rahman is also involved in other charitable causes. In 2004, he was appointed the Global Ambassador of the Stop T B Partnership , a project by the World Health Organistation

Tickets are priced at HK$3,880(VIP), HK$1,980, HK$980, $580 and HK$380 and will go on sales on January 3rd at HK Ticketing and Tom Lee outlets. Booking hotline 31-288-288 or web booking at www.hkticketing.com. For further enquiries please contact Mr. Ahmed Khan of Arissa BiBi Collections at 9488 3089.

Performing with A.R. Rahman: Alka Yagnik, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, BlaaZe, Kailesh Kher, Madhushree, Sadhana Sargam...

Concert

Running Time: Approx. 3-4hours without interval PLEASE NOTE:
The Organiser for this event has instructed HK Ticketing to restrict the selection of tickets to Best Available for this event. This means that you will not be able to choose your own seat(s) for this event. If you wish to choose your own seat(s), you may visit one of our HK Ticketing outletsand box officesor by calling our Ticket Purchase Hotline on 31 288 288 from 10am - 8pm daily.

Source:http://www.hkticketing.com/

THE LORD OF THE RINGS THEY LIKE IT, THEY REALLY LIKE IT

MICHAEL POSNER The critics' reviews are still several weeks away, but for the 2,000 people who constituted the first public audience of the most ambitious theatrical project in history, the verdict Saturday night was a decisive thumbs up. No matter that the first preview performance of Lord of the Rings -- at Toronto's Princess of Wales Theatre -- suffered a couple of technical glitches that forced the show to stop for 15 minutes or so. And no matter that, when the curtain finally fell on the $27-million musical adaptation of the classic Tolkien novels, nearly five hours (including 50 minutes worth of intermission, accompanied by drinks and snacks on the house) had elapsed. Although there were a handful of walkouts when the clock neared 11 p.m., interviews with audience members conducted before, during and after the show -- the Globe and Mail was the only media organization invited to actually watch the show -- suggest that this epic production will go a long way toward satisfying the enormous appetite for the inhabitants of Middle Earth. "It's a thing of great beauty," said entertainment lawyer Brian Wynn, after the show ended with a standing ovation. "But the world needs to know what the concept is. It's not a musical. It's not a Stratford production. It's somewhere in between. If you come expecting a new Les Miz or Oklahoma -- it's not. But I think they've pulled out the poetry and the themes better than the movies." "Very good," said Toronto teenager Andrew Buchanan who came with his father and brother. "The length didn't bother me at all. I want to see it again." "It will be brilliant," said one woman who requested anonymity. "They have work to do, but I think it will be our next Phantom [ of the Opera ]," the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that ran for 10 years in Toronto. Although the Globe agreed not to review this first preview, it's fair to say that the world created by director Warchus and his creative team is unlike anything anyone has ever seen in conventional commercial theatre before. The gnarled forests of Middle Earth thrust out to embrace the audience. The automated, cantilevered stage turns, twists, rises, falls and tilts in myriad and extraordinary ways -- at one moment, a winding forest path, the next, a soaring battlefield promontory, while wind and smoke swirl through the auditorium. Menacing orcs leap and tumble like pre-historic Raptors. A dozen Ents --14-feet-high humanoid trees (actors on stilts) -- conduct a council of the forest. Frodo and his fellow Hobbits run in fear of the ominous Black Riders. Michael Therriault is Gollum made animate, a writhing, wheezing, gymnastic incarnation of creepiness. The music -- jointly composed by the Finnish folk ensemble Varttina and India's A.R. Rahman -- owes more to opera than musical theatre, an almost continuous score that includes lush ballads, a rollicking drinking number (at the Prancing Pony Inn), a powerful anthem song, as well as the stirring, discordant strains of the battlefield. Indeed, the show's sets, lighting (designed by Paul Pyant) and special effects (by Graham Meeh and Paul Kieve) were mentioned by many theatregoers as the single most stunning aspect of the production. New York financier John Halle, who flew up for the preview, said the central question for him was whether audiences would tolerate a show that even at its optimum is scheduled to run three hours and 30 minutes with intermissions. Halle apparently couldn't; he left toward the end of Act II. "Awesome," said Bruce Lovitz, an emergency room physician from South Carolina who flew up with his eight-year-old son, Carl, for the show. Calling himself "almost the world's biggest fan" of the novels -- he's read each of them every other year for 30 years. "It absolutely meets my expectation. I like the originality of the songs. My concern was that they would borrow too much from the movie versions, but they use just enough. . . . The books are so global -- they encompass the entire human experience, different facets of the human personality. It's a wonderful escape for us on this earth to escape to Middle Earth."

In his pre-curtain remarks to the audience Matthew Warchus explained that this was his second delivery in four weeks. A month ago, his wife had given birth to a Canadian son. "Births can be scary, unpredictable, painful and messy," Warchus said, "but there's nothing like being there at the beginning."

Source:http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Taj Mahal in Hollywood

BOLLYWOOD REEL
Bhuvan Lall / New Delhi February 8, 2006 Many want to film the essence of this love story. The real Taj Mahal has fascinated Hollywood for years. There have been umpteen attempts to convert this tribute of love for Mumtaz Mahal into an epic feature film. In the mid-fifties, Indian filmmaker Mehboob Khan had approached 20th Century Fox with a Hollywood version of Taj Mahal. He stayed in Los Angeles for over six months to pursue the project and even planned to get Elizabeth Taylor to play Mumtaz Mahal. Then there was writer and journalist Kamran Pasha, born in Pakistan, who had announced that he had set up his first feature script at Warner Brothers – a historical epic on the timeless and tragic love story of Shahjahan and Mumtaz Mahal. The English language epic movie was being pitched as Gladiator meets The Last Emperor. Warners were to team up with Trilogy to bring this project to the screen. The film has yet to see the light of day. In Hollywood, filmmaker Krishna Shah – the first Asian-American writer/director/producer who has won critical acclaim both on Broadway and here – had announced his plans to produce and direct a mega film on Taj Mahal. The financial backing for the project fell through at the last minute. Meanwhile, in India, Taj Mahal has been successfully completed as a feature film numerous times. The first film on Taj Mahal was made in 1941 followed by M Sadiq's Taj Mahal in 1963 starring Pradeep Kumar and Bina Rai. In recent years, India has witnessed three battling Taj Mahal films based on the Mughal emperor's undying love for his wife and the monument he commissioned as a tribute to their union. The three are: Bharat Bala's IMAX that has not been released yet, Robin Khosla's English film on Taj Mahal which went into theaters in 2003 and the recently released Akbar Khan's Taj Mahal – An Eternal Love Story. Robin Khosla's film was first previewed at the American Film Market in 2000. Robin, son of the film's producer Ramesh Khosla, claimed he researched the subject for three years before deciding upon making the film. It sank without a trace. At the Cannes Film Festival last year Akbar Khan launched his version "Taj Mahal – An Eternal Love Story" and it was screened at the film market twice for special invitees. The film opened to a feeble response globally. In the year 2000 in Hollywood, US-based Indian technology tycoons including K B Chandrasekhar and B V Jagadeesh, co-founders of Internet infrastructure firm Exodus Communications, Gururaj "Desh" Deshpande, chairman of optical networking firm Sycamore Networks, and Kanwal Rekhi, former chief technology officer of Novell came together to fund an IMAX movie on the Taj Mahal. The film is titled "Heart of India", and made by film-maker Bharat Bala who hasFormerly known as Taj Mahal: The Eternal Love Story, Heart of India celebrates the many thousands of years of unbroken cultural heritage of the mystical country. The film travels across mysterious and striking India; through its ancient cities, misty mountain passages and vast desert kingdoms.
Produced by TriColor Films, Bharatbala Productions and MacGillivray Freeman Films, the film's music has been scored by A R Rahman. The film, currently in production, stars Aishwarya Rai who plays Mumtaz Mahal the queen who inspired the marble monument. The IMAX film has been shot all across India.
Given the never-ending curiosity for the myths and stories revolving around the Taj Mahal, this is surely not the last of such films. produced path-breaking images of India throughout his entire career. Source: http://www.business-standard.com

Netru Indru Naalai : Report and broadcast timings

Vijay TV's Samsung Netru Indru Naalai: Yesterday, today and tomorrow was the theme of the unique musical created by Mani Ratnam and his team of technicians, Vasanth, Rajeev Menon and Sabu Cyril, and a host of actors, in aid of The Banyan, a home for the mentally challenged. A large crowd of over twenty thousand was assembled on February 05, from 6.30 pm onwards, at Jeppiar Engineering College campus, to see the first and the foremost 'Broadway musical" type of live show in Chennai. It was a magical journey through the past, present and future of Tamil cinema. It began with actress-dancer Bhanupriya and an ensemble of dancers dancing on top of huge drums. What followed was a spectacle that made the audience ask for "MORE!!" and they were not disappointed. Shobana performed a remarkable dance, dancing around the stage like a startled gazelle. It was pure undiluted magic. A song sequence from the movie Kathalikka Neramillai recreated on the state with a touch of Eastman colour including the balcony was astounding. Ramesh Arvind, who came on stage wearing white pants and black shirt, with a whip in his hand, imitating MGR, performed the most famous song Naan Aanaiyittal, and was rewarded by the audience's applause and calls for encores. Actor Shaam entered the stage on a motor-cycle imitating the famous Kamal song "Ilamai Itho Itho" from Sakala kala vallavan. Just as in the movie, "Adi Raakamma kayye thatu" began with a bang with huge sets. The little super star Simbu and Simran danced together for the gala song. This is Simran's first stage show after her marriage and childbirth. Actor Reema Sen and Simbu danced for the song "Thillana Thillana" from the movie Muthu, another famous number from Rajnikanth's movie. Both Simbu and Reema Sen sizzled on stage. With Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty doing the Chayya Chayya number (choreographed by dance master Kalyan), the crowd went shaking their legs for the song and dancing with all the energy of Shah Rukh Khan. Kamalhaasan sang a song from Maniratnam's Nayagan; even before Kamal Haasan entered the stage, the music was played and the crowd cheered the actor - a sight that had to be seen to be enjoyed. The star of the Netru Indru Naalai show was undoubtedly Art director Sabu Cyril. Whether it was the hotel room of the early 60s, the ship in the sea, the fort in the song from Thalapathi, or the train from Dil Se, Sabu created something that was never seen before on stage. It was pure magic. For a song from Alaigal Oyvathillai, he created a field with sunflowers swaying in the breeze. The choreography of dance masters Kala and Brinda, needs to be appreciated. Click hereto see exclusive pictures of the event on galatta.com! For those of you who want to see the show again, and for those of you who missed seeing the live show, here is the good news! Vijay TV's Samsung Netru Indru Naalai will be aired as two half hour specials leading up to the airing of the full show in a mega three hour show! The show timings are: "The making of Netru Indru Naalai 2006" - curtain raiser 1 will be aired on February 18, at 7.30 pm. "The making of Netru Indru Naalai 2006" - curtain raiser 2 will be aired on February 25, at 7.30 pm. The event will be aired as a 3 hour special mega show on March 3, 2006 at 7 pm.

Source: http://tamil.galatta.com

music
A FRESH APPROACH TO TRADITION

COMPOSER A.R. RAHMAN REACHES OUT ACROSS CULTURES WITH HIS TAKE ON INDIAN MUSIC

By Glenn Lovell
Mercury News

This afternoon, he's composing for the musical theater, rushing to complete arrangements for a Toronto production of ''The Lord of the Rings.'' Tuesday, he'll be feted by Stanford's Pan-Asian Music Festival, where excerpts from his hit CD ''Vande Mataram'' will be played along with his rain song from the Indian film ''Lagaan.'' Rahman won't be performing himself but will be onstage to take questions about his work.

Then, it's back on tour as singer-keyboardist. In this incarnation, he leads an exuberant, Vangelis-like fusion of sitar, synthesizer and traditional Sufi music. Saturday, Rahman the pop star will be in Hong Kong.

If he could pursue only one of those disciplines, which would it be?

''I like the way I'm going -- a bit of this, a bit of that,'' Rahman, 39, replies.

''It's very satisfying doing all three. Film has its charm, but so too does the stage. My CD and video for 'Vande Mataram' allowed me to reach out to a much younger audience in a very personal, spiritual way. I'd love to do another album like that.''

''Vande Mataram,'' Hindi for ''Hail to the Mother,'' commemorated the 50th anniversary of Indian independence. Rahman's take on the national anthem, at first considered risky, even disrespectful, wound up on pop charts, selling in the millions.

''I was at first skeptical that it would reach out,'' Rahman recalls. ''But it went well beyond the city to the country, and became popular with Muslims, Hindu and Christians. Those who were not listening to my music started listening to my music.''

His ''Bombay Theme'' was used in the Nicolas Cage movie ''Lord of War.'' In March, another Rahman song will be featured on the soundtrack of Spike Lee's ''Inside Man'' starring Denzel Washington.

''Although his music is rooted in traditional Indian classics, it borrows from other cultures and reflects his European training,'' notes Jindong Cai, founder and artistic director of the Pan-Asian festival and director of orchestral studies at Stanford. ''This makes the music very fresh, very compelling, especially to young people.''

Rahman stands out among the festival lineup, which includes sitarist Kartik Seshadri (billed as ''foremost disciple of Ravi Shankar'') and, today, the Farid Ayaz Qawwali Ensemble from Pakistan.

''We're getting many calls from people, especially in the Indian community,'' reports Cai. ''They can't believe Rahman is coming here.''

Cai and his co-organizers are surprised themselves. During a brainstorming session for the festival, Cai suggested they go more mainstream and invite someone who reflects popular new trends.

''We have to look at the bigger picture in South Asian music, the traditional as well as the contemporary,'' he reminded the committee.

He then dropped the B-word: ''Bollywood.''

And that led to composer Rahman, who sets his prodigious output at ''75 to 100'' movie scores.

But how to nab the superstar? The assumption was that his asking price would be more than the festival's entire $30,000 budget.

''But he surprised us,'' Cai says. ''He was excited about coming. You know, he's a very profound person who often dedicates his music to Allah. He's also down-to-earth. Besides air fare and lodging, he doesn't ask for anything.''

Rahman says he's excited about the Stanford tribute, which will include film clips and performances by campus groups. He is also looking forward to setting the audience straight on the breadth and richness of Indian music.

''There is much more to our music than sitars and tabla drums,'' he stresses. ''If you listen, you will see there is so much happening. I want to go beyond traditional music -- but without only writing for the here and now. You must also be true to what is within you, the spiritual side.''

Riding the Waves

AR Rahman in conversation with Niladri Bose on radio

Swetha Aabhas

Imagine cooking in your kitchen or reading your newspaper and listening to a well modulated, baritone voice, some good music and living legend AR Rahman himself in conversation. R J Niladri Bose, well-known for his deep voice, caught up with A R Rahman last Saturday. ET Madras Plus listens in, and brings its readers a sneak peek.

Niladri Bose: Thank you for being on this show. My first question is more like the last question of an interview. What are your forthcoming releases in 2006?

ARR: There are a lot of releases. In Tamil, we have Shivaji, Dasavatharam and Jill Endru Oru Kadhal. In Hindi, we have a film called London Dreams by Rajkumar Santhoshi and Rang De Basanti has just released. Apart from that, Lord of the Rings is releasing in March. So I guess one by one they will fall into place.

NB: Well, a lot to look forward to from you, and I'm sure all your fans have a musical treat in store for them. Why are you considered a media shy person?

ARR: I'm not a media shy person, after a point in time what can we say? We repeat the same thing. You know, there are so many radio stations and magazines that when you say the same thing time and again, you feel kind of shallow. It's better to hold on and allow your work to show and speak loud and clear…(laughs).

NB: Well, let the music do the talking, legendary words from the man himself…If you weren't a musician, what would you want to be?

ARR: I don't know (laughs).

NB: Well, we get it that you only want to be a musician and a legend at that. But tell me Rahman, any film in particular that you enjoyed working on?

ARR: I think working with certain directors is a more satisfying experience than the others, the whole team and the entire effort is concentrated and then it reaches people the way we conceive the music to be. Sometimes, it's a one-sided effort, so I think most of the big hits that people have liked, have remained a collaborative and collective effort.

NB: Your day must be a 24-hour one. Do you get time at all to do normal things like say going to a store, catching a movie or just hanging out with family?

ARR: Sometimes, surprisingly, there is lot of time. It's not planned, but then suddenly I do call my family and say, "Let's go, the computer has crashed (laughs) and we have four hours at hand." So, I do make time for them now and then and that's fun actually.

NB: Only when the computer crashes does Rahman get his free time. We know we have taken a lot of your time, but one final question. Any message to aspiring musicians or singers who want to make it big on the silver screen?

ARR: Each person has their own destiny and their own hard work pays. Try to find what's within you and bring out the best, rather than trying to be another person. You have to spot that first and then bring it out in the most brilliant way with all your heart in it.

NB: I've been waiting to ask you this question Rahman, not just me but probably the whole country. Can we expect a solo album in the future?

ARR: Yeah, I'd love to do a solo album, but my commitments are holding me back.

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