Ashutosh Gowariker: 'I tell AR Rahman, 'You've won Oscars because I allowed you to go to Hollywood'

Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker recently talked about his long association with music maestro AR Rahman, humorously saying that Rahman owes him Oscars for his success in Hollywood. The director, who has worked with Rahman on almost all his films except three, shared insights during an interview with Mirchi, where he talks about how Slumdog Millionaire changed their professional relationship.

Gowariker revealed that Rahman was initially supposed to compose music for his 2008 film What's Your Raashee?, but their collaboration was interrupted when Rahman began receiving offers from Hollywood. That same year, Rahman scored the music for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, which went on to win eight Academy Awards, including two for Rahman.

In jest, Gowariker quipped, "Even today, I sometimes tell Rahman, 'You should thank me for the Oscars you've won because I allowed you to go to Hollywood.'

Talking about the creative process of Rahman, Gowariker praised the composer's sharp instincts. "Rahman quickly understands the crux of an idea and visualizes the situation. However, it takes time because he's catering to the director's vision rather than creating an independent album," he said, stressing that one needs to respect the methodical approach of Rahman.

Interestingly, Rahman himself recently shared his experience of working on Slumdog Millionaire in secret. At the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, he was recalling how director Danny Boyle had warned him to take a step back. Advice was that with many composers working for him as a director, there's a high possibility his works will be rejected. With this, Rahman did see the sincerity of the offer and took a chance. The decision paid off as Slumdog Millionaire won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Rahman became a global icon.