What a J(ai)oy!

Was waiting for something interesting to push me from my sluggish self and put the finger onto the keyboard. But didnt quite realise that the 'something' will have to take Oscar proportions for me to put in a post. What a moment for India - Tremendous, as a director friend puts it! Yup - that's the word that encompasses all the moments leading to and all that followed India's thumping footprint on the Oscar stage.

Yella pugazhum iraivanukke - A R Rahman stole the show with that single line in Tamil - makin all of us Tamilians ever so proud of our Tamilhood. That man's success is a lesson in any talented person wanting to make it big - it takes loads of talent yes, but it also takes a lot of attitude - the right one of coz, to reach where A R Rahman has reached. Rahman is someone who will work with anyone who wants to work with him. You can hear his tracks for a Vijay film as well as a Maniratnam one. You can hear him on a Broadway musical as well as in a superstar introduction song! Rahman, I think, hardly says No - to work - and he does it single mindedly, not relying on any outside stimulus except his Music for inspiration.

Step by step, one day after another, simultaneously dealing with Tamil and Hindi filmdoms, Rahman rose from strength to strength. The sentence may convey a certain sense of strategy to his rise - but to me and to any discerning mind, Rahman's modesty, his choosing love over hatred and his deep respect for his mother - all come across as this wonderful mix that's made the man who he is... His music made him who he is to US, if you get what I mean.

A truly momentous day - I take the liberty to add on to what Mr. Pookutty rightly said, "...they didnt just give them an award, they were given a history!" This day, every year will be a historical one that has set the Oscar stage open to Indian film making talent. Are we upto it?