The film starring Arvind Ramaswamy and Madhu made Rahman the darling of Bollywood. He was already a star in South India, but Roja marked his debut and led to a long-lasting impact on the Hindi film industry.
Urmila Matondkar redefined fashion for heroines with her gorgeous costumes in Rangeela. Aamir Khan was at his best, and Rahman's music was outstanding. Unfortunately, the film lost most awards that year to Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge.
Mani Ratnam and Rahman paired up once again after Roja. Unfortunately, this film was mired in controversy as it explored the relationship between a Hindu boy and Muslim girl. Sonali Bendre, despite her brief appearance, will always be remembered for her Humma Humma.
Lyricist Gulzar and Rahman teamed up for this, one of the best albums of the 90s. The train song, Chhaiya Chhaiya, rendered by Sukhwinder, established him as a singer overnight. Unfortunately, the film was a disaster at the box office despite the music and Shah Rukh Khan playing the lead role.
It was an association between a Bollywood showman and the Mozart of the East. Subhash Ghai was riding high on the success of Pardes and paired up with Rahman instead of Nadeem-Shravan, who had composed songs for the earlier hit. The songs were huge, but the film did average business.
It was a marriage between Bollywood heroines and Kollywood. The film had Aishwarya Rai, Tabu, Ajith and Mammooty. It was directed by Rajiv Menon and the songs were outstanding.
Directed by Shyam Benegal, this film yielded actress Karishma Kapoor's best performance to date. It was soon forgotten by audiences, but the songs continue to mesmerise.
The only Indian film to be nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar in recent memory. Lyricist Javed Akhtar and Rahman gave it their best.
Only a genius like Rahman, coming from Chennai, can make singer Daler Mehendi sound the way he did in Rang De Basanti. A slow track from Lata Mangeshkar, Lukka Chuppi Bahut Hui, was also soothing.
In November 2006, when Aishwarya did Umrao Jaan with Abhishek Bachchan, there was no obvious chemistry between them. Three months later, when Guru was released, the couple performed a miracle at the box office. Guru became the first big hit of 2007, and the song Tere Bina sung by Rahman went on and on during the Abhi-Ash wedding.
14 years after Roja, Rahman proved once again there was no one quite like him.
Writers Corner: Books, Stories & Poems
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