Many in Hollywood felt we would win the award: AR Rahman on Slumdog Millionaire’s Oscar triumph

Talking to indianexpress.com, AR Rahman said that everyone in Hollywood was certain he would score the big victory.

“Though we didn’t believe that they would give the award to an Indian composer and team, people in Hollywood guessed it. A lot of my friends kept telling me that I would win because the pattern was very easy for them to guess. Even though they said it, I didn’t want to believe it,” he said.

Rahman also recalled the moment just before his name was announced at the ceremony. The composer said he was cautious about not reacting “too much”.

Gulzar, Anil Kapoor, AR Rahman and others at Slumdog Millionaire event in Mumbai on Monday. (Express photo: Varinder Chawla)

“I felt I was like on the top of a skyscraper. So, if I had reacted more, I would have messed up my performance. So, I was very careful about it. Even now it feels unreal.”

Even as he continues to bask in the glory of this enormous win, the composer is certain some other Indian musician or filmmaker will soon repeat history.

“I think it’s going to happen again, maybe with some other composer or director. It’s going to happen because when you realise you don’t know is when the door of knowledge opens,” AR Rahman signed off.

The celebration also saw the presence of the film’s lyricist Gulzar and actor Anil Kapoor, who started as the antagonist in Slumdog Millionaire, which bagged eight Oscar awards.