Jai Ho! all the way

From the moment he alighted from the car,to the time he was seated for the press interaction,Rahman-mania was in full force and forced the organisers to appeal to students to maintain silence and let the maestro speak.

“It’s a noble cause for which the concert is being held and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Rahman. “It was an honour to meet Hridaynath Mangeshkar; it’s been my earnest wish to meet him for the past 10-15 years now,” he said.

Proceeds from the concert will go to the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation and the Alandi Dehu Vikas Parisar Samiti. Part of his Jai Ho World Tour,the concert will see performances by over 70 artistes,including Hariharan,BLAAZE,Benny Dayal,Rashid Ali and others.

Speaking on the occasion,Vishwanath Karad of MIT said that Rahman had done the country proud and taken the glory of Indian music traditions to all corners of the world. “This great son of India has brought laurels to the country and proved the prediction made by Swami Vivekananda more than a century ago in Chicago true. Swamiji had said that in 100 years’ time,the whole world will acknowledge India’s mettle. And today,as the entire world sways to the tune of Jai Ho,it can be said with certainty that India’s moment in the sun has finally arrived,” said Karad.

There was a scuffle before the press conference began in which a photojournalist was injured. The Pune Patrakar Sangh has condemned the incident.