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AR Rahman wins Oscars for music Indian joy at Oscar night glory
(about 2 hours later)
Indian composer AR Rahman has won two Oscars for his work in Danny Boyle's Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. India has been revelling in Oscar night glory, with the success of Slumdog Millionaire, its composer AR Rahman and the documentary Smile Pinki.
Rahman took one Oscar for the best score and another for his song Jai Ho from the film, a rags-to-riches tale set in the slums of Mumbai. Rahman won two Oscars, best original score and best original song - Jai Ho - with fellow Indian Gulzar.
He praised Slumdog Millionaire's themes of hope and optimism. Resul Pookutty bagged another award for sound mixing of the rags-to-riches Mumbai movie, which also won best picture and best director.
Rahman is among five Indians to win an Oscar. Two other Indians, Gulzar and Resul Pookutty, picked up Oscars for original song and sound mixing. Smile Pinki, about an Indian cleft-lip girl, won best short documentary.
Earlier Oscar winners from India were costume designer Bhanu Athaiya for her work in Gandhi in 1983 and director Satyajit Ray, who won a lifetime achievement award in 1992. The success of Slumdog sparked massive celebrations back in the Mumbai slum where two of the film's child actors still live.
British director Danny Boyle has won best director for Slumdog Millionaire and the film also took best picture. Altogether, it netted eight awards. Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail were both in Hollywood for the ceremony.
Mumbai celebrations Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said of the winners: "They have done India proud."
Rahman, 43, picked up the Oscar for best original score before, minutes later, picking up a second for the best song, along with Gulzar. 'Power of hope'
It's a proud moment for India that the film has been awarded an Oscar Rafique, Father of Rubina Ali class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7905332.stm">Mumbai slum hails Millionaire stars India's biggest winner of the night was Rahman, 43.
"I just want to thank again the whole crew of Slumdog Millionaire, especially Danny Boyle, for giving me such a great opportunity," he said, while accepting the award. INDIA'S OSCAR WINNERS 2009: AR Rahman - best original score2009: AR Rahman and Gulzar - best original song2009: Resul Pookutty - sound mixing1992: Satyajit Ray - lifetime achievement1983: Bhanu Athaiya - costume design (Gandhi) He said as he accepted the award: "I just want to thank again the whole crew of Slumdog Millionaire, especially [director] Danny Boyle, for giving me such a great opportunity."
The composer said he hailed "all the people from Mumbai and the essence of the film, which is about optimism and the power of hope and our lives".The composer said he hailed "all the people from Mumbai and the essence of the film, which is about optimism and the power of hope and our lives".
He went on: "All my life I've had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I'm here. God bless."He went on: "All my life I've had a choice of hate and love. I chose love and I'm here. God bless."
TV pictures showed Rahman's family cutting a cake in his home city of Chennai in southern India and celebrating the composer's win. TV pictures showed Rahman's family cutting a cake in his home city of Madras (Chennai) in southern India and celebrating the composer's win.
A local band played a tribute to the composer singing the hit song, Jai Ho. A local band played a tribute to the composer singing Jai Ho.
The BBC's Prachi Pinglay in Mumbai says there have been celebrations in the slums of Mumbai, where two of the film's actors live. It's a proud moment for India that the film has been awarded an Oscar Rafique, Father of Rubina Ali class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7905332.stm">Mumbai slum hails Millionaire stars class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/7894174.stm">AR Rahman: Global tunesmith Resul Pookutty won for sound mixing of Slumdog with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke.
Many slum dwellers have been watching the Oscar ceremony on television sets. Smile Pinki is the story of a girl with a cleft lip Pookutty said: "I'm the first Indian technician to be nominated for an Oscar and winning one... And it's an absolute glory for me myself personally and for my country."
Rafique, the father of Rubina Ali - who portrays the youngest version of the leading lady Latika in the film - said: "It's a proud moment for India that the film has been awarded an Oscar. I am waiting for my daughter to return home with the stories." Pookutty, a graduate from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, has been in the industry for more than 10 years and has worked on several big films.
A neighbour, Shameem, said Slumdog's success would spur the children in the area to succeed in life. A spokesperson for Indian President Pratibha Patil, said she was "specially thrilled with the remarkable feat achieved by AR Rahman, Gulzar, Resul Pookutty and making India proud".
"Rubina should continue to act, she should not give it up. We are really happy for her," he said. Bollywood actor-director Aamir Khan said he was also "thrilled" by India's successes at the Oscars.
Indian sound engineer Resul Pookutty also picked up an Oscar for sound mixing along with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke Resul Pookutty for Slumdog Millionaire. Smile Pinki is the story of a girl with a cleft lip"It is great to see Indian talent [in cinema] being recognised internationally. We are no less than anybody else," Khan told TV channels.
Mr Pookutty, a graduate from the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, has been in the industry for over 10 years and has worked on several big films. Smile Pinki, a 39-minute documentary by American director Megan Mylan on an eight-year-old Indian girl born with a cleft lip, had been one of the four short documentaries nominated for the Academy Awards.
Bollywood actor-director Aamir Khan said he was "thrilled" by India's successes at the Oscars.
"It is great to see Indian talent [in cinema] being recognised internationally. We are no less than anybody else," Khan told TV channels.
Another film with an Indian connection won the best documentary short Oscar.
Smile Pinki, a 39-minute documentary by American director Megan Mylan on an eight-year-old Indian girl born with a cleft lip, was one of the four short documentaries nominated for the Academy Awards.
There were celebrations in the north Indian village in Mirzapur district where Pinki lives, the BBC's Geeta Pandey says.There were celebrations in the north Indian village in Mirzapur district where Pinki lives, the BBC's Geeta Pandey says.
The girl's uncle said that several hundred people had made a procession, chanting "Bharat mata ki jai" (Hail to Mother India). The girl's uncle said several hundred people took part in a procession, chanting "Bharat mata ki jai" (Long Live Mother India).
India now has five Oscar winners.
Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya won for her work in Gandhi in 1983 and director Satyajit Ray won a lifetime achievement award in 1992.