Twin win for India at international awards

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) India triumphed on the global arena with two of its music maestros - composer A.R. Rahman and tabla wizard Zakir Hussain - bagging two coveted international awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Grammy respectively.

After shining at Golden Globes, Rahman earned laurels for India by bagging the BAFTA for the film "Slumdog Millionaire".

Hussain won a Grammy in the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album "Global Drum Project". Hussain teamed up with Mickey Hart, Nigerian percussionist Sikiru Adepoju and Puerto Rican jazz percussionist Giovanni Hidalgo for the album.

Another feather in the cap for our national treasures was a BAFTA for Resul Pookutty who received the award for best sound mixing for "Slumdog Millionaire".

Pookutty and Rahman have been nominated for Oscars as well. Pookutty is nominated for sound mixing for "Slumdog Millionaire", and Rahman has three nominations for best music score for Danny Boyle's rags-to-riches drama. He is the first Indian to receive three Oscar nominations in the main category.

Noted film critic Saibal Chatterjee hailed Rahman's Oscar nominations as an opening door for Indian musicians getting recognition abroad.

While people all over the country are praying for Rahman to win an Oscars, the composer says: "It's a dream come true not so much for me as my wife."

"She'd wake up in the middle of the night and say, 'I want you to win an Oscar'. And I'd just smile. Today, my wife's dream seems a possibility," Rahman had told IANS.

With Indian musicians making their presence felt internationally, Indian music industry has reasons to celebrate.

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