Rahman won two Oscars, best original score and best original song - Jai Ho - with fellow Indian Gulzar.
Resul Pookutty bagged another award for sound mixing of the rags-to-riches Mumbai movie, which also won best picture and best director.
Smile Pinki, about an Indian cleft-lip girl, won best short documentary.
The success of Slumdog sparked massive celebrations back in India.
The Oscar wins made front page news in all the newspapers, with special praise for AR Rahman, who is a cult music composer in India.
Slumgod, headlined The Indian Express .
"Like it or not, you have to have been swayed by its anthem song, Jai Ho. And whether or not this prepares the ground for an Indian original to cross over, there had to have been misty eyed moments when AR Rahman took his bow," the newspaper said in an editorial.
Writing in the same paper, critic Sandipan Deb said that though India should "really rejoice for the six children" who acted in Slumdog and for composer AR Rahman, "it's a bit too much if we take this as a victory for Indian cinema".
"It's a non-Indian film which happened to have an all-Indian cast. We shoot entire films abroad nowadays, especially in the US, remember?".
'Triumph of hope'
India Breaks Sound Barrier headlined The Times of India , alluding to the success of Rahman's music and Resul Pookuty's sound mixing awards.
"You know India has arrived when everybody in Hollywood's Kodak Theatre - from Brad Pitt to Kate Winslet, Steven Spielberg to Meryl Streep - move to the beat of Jai Ho," the newspaper wrote.
The newspaper said that India "justifiably has much to celebrate about Slumdog's night of Oscar glory".
"Three Indians have won individual Academy honours this year, and that's a tremendous achievement."
The newspaper said that "for all its problems, India is a multicultural experiment that works".
"Just take a look at the Indians who won Oscar accolades this year -they follow different religions. But they accepted the honours as Indians, on our behalf, and dedicated their wins to us".
The Hindu newspaper called the film's success as a "triumph of hope".
The newspaper said that though Slumdog was made by a British director and funded by a European company, "it is seen by many at home as an Indian film".
'Curious amalgam'
The newspaper pointed out that unlike Richard Attenborough's Gandhi - the film won eight Oscars - the cast of Slumdog was "almost entirely Indian".
Also, it said, "the style that permeates the film is a curious amalgam - one that represents a true cinematic union between Hollywood and Bollywood".
The Hindu said that "India impacted on this year's Oscars in another way, and one that deserves special mention: the best documentary award to Smile Pinki".
Hindustan Times said that Slumdog was a "great exhilarating film that has brought willy-nilly the 'Bollywood' language into mainstream world cinema".
"What better way for us to be flattered than when a foreign film hits Oscar gold by going down our 'filmy' path?"
But, in an editorial page piece in the same newspaper, critic Indrajit Hazra wondered whether Slumdog was really an 'Indian' film.
"If there's any 'national' aspect to the Slumdog Millionaire mega-haul it is that of AR Rahman winning two Oscars - not because he is an Indian national, but because, through the score of the movie and the two songs he has been able to bring the contemporary Hindi film sound into the international mainstream," he wrote.
"The rest, as they don't say enough, is nationalistic poppycock."
Slumdog Is Top Dog, headlined Mail Today
The newspaper said Rahman's awards proved that the composer's music has "gone beyond India, and is part of the global mainstream, something incredibly creative and human, and something very personal, linked to his genius".
The Economic Times said it was a "Bollywood show at the Oscars, as a group of kids walked the red carpet and won a million hearts".
AR Rahman told DNA newspaper that the Oscars would help Indian talent.
"I think it's a great bridge .. it is the starting point for Bollywood and Indian talent. Americans [earlier] had an aversion to any other culture."
"Now we are probably making our culture more acceptable, we are setting a trend .. I loved the way the kids came in [the Slumdog child actors walking the ramp].. it was so moving."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/south_asia/7907043.stm
NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 81ST AWARDS -
Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" (Overture Films)
- Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
- Sean Penn in "Milk" (Focus Features)
- Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Josh Brolin in "Milk" (Focus Features)
- Robert Downey Jr. in "Tropic Thunder" (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Heath Ledger in "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.)
- Michael Shannon in "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Anne Hathaway in "Rachel Getting Married" (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Angelina Jolie in "Changeling" (Universal)
- Melissa Leo in "Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Meryl Streep in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Kate Winslet in "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Penélope Cruz in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (The Weinstein Company)
- Viola Davis in "Doubt" (Miramax)
- Taraji P. Henson in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Marisa Tomei in "The Wrestler" (Fox Searchlight)
Best animated feature film of the year
"Bolt" (Walt Disney) Chris Williams and Byron Howard "Kung Fu Panda" (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount) John Stevenson and Mark Osborne "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Andrew Stanton
Achievement in art direction
"Changeling" (Universal) Art Direction: James J. Murakami
Set Decoration: Gary Fettis"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt
Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Art Direction: Nathan Crowley
Set Decoration: Peter Lando"The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Art Direction: Michael Carlin
Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway"Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Art Direction: Kristi Zea
Set Decoration: Debra Schutt
Achievement in cinematography
"Changeling" (Universal) Tom Stern "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Claudio Miranda "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Wally Pfister "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Chris Menges and Roger Deakins "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
"Australia" (20th Century Fox) Catherine Martin "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Jacqueline West "The Duchess" (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films) Michael O'Connor "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Glicker "Revolutionary Road" (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage) Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Fincher "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Ron Howard "Milk" (Focus Features) Gus Van Sant "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Stephen Daldry "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Danny Boyle
Best documentary feature
"The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)" (Cinema Guild)
A Pandinlao Films ProductionEllen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath "Encounters at the End of the World" (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment)
A Creative Differences ProductionWerner Herzog and Henry Kaiser "The Garden"
A Black Valley Films ProductionScott Hamilton Kennedy "Man on Wire" (Magnolia Pictures)
A Wall to Wall ProductionJames Marsh and Simon Chinn "Trouble the Water" (Zeitgeist Films)
An Elsewhere Films ProductionTia Lessin and Carl Deal
Best documentary short subject
"The Conscience of Nhem En"
A Farallon Films ProductionSteven Okazaki "The Final Inch"
A Vermilion Films ProductionIrene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant "Smile Pinki"
A Principe ProductionMegan Mylan "The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306"
A Rock Paper Scissors ProductionAdam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde
Achievement in film editing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lee Smith "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Mike Hill and Dan Hanley "Milk" (Focus Features) Elliot Graham "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
- "The Baader Meinhof Complex" A Constantin Film Production - Germany
- "The Class" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Haut et Court Production - France
- "Departures" (Regent Releasing) A Departures Film Partners Production - Japan
- "Revanche" (Janus Films) A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production - Austria
- "Waltz with Bashir" (Sony Pictures Classics) A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production - Israel
Achievement in makeup
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Greg Cannom "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O'Sullivan "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (Universal) Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Alexandre Desplat "Defiance" (Paramount Vantage) James Newton Howard "Milk" (Focus Features) Danny Elfman "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) A.R. Rahman "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
"Down to Earth" from "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman
Lyric by Peter Gabriel"Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music by A.R. Rahman
Lyric by Gulzar"O Saya" from "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
Best motion picture of the year
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
A Kennedy/Marshall ProductionKathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers "Frost/Nixon" (Universal)
A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title ProductionBrian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers "Milk" (Focus Features)
A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company ProductionDan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company)
A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH ProductionNominees to be determined "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight)
A Celador Films ProductionChristian Colson, Producer
Best animated short film
"La Maison en Petits Cubes"
A Robot Communications ProductionKunio Kato "Lavatory - Lovestory"
A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company ProductionKonstantin Bronzit "Oktapodi" (Talantis Films)
A Gobelins, L'école de l'image ProductionEmud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand "Presto" (Walt Disney)
A Pixar Animation Studios ProductionDoug Sweetland "This Way Up"
A Nexus ProductionAlan Smith and Adam Foulkes
Best live action short film
"Auf der Strecke (On the Line)" (Hamburg Shortfilmagency)
An Academy of Media Arts Cologne ProductionReto Caffi "Manon on the Asphalt" (La Luna Productions)
A La Luna ProductionElizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont "New Boy" (Network Ireland Television)
A Zanzibar Films ProductionSteph Green and Tamara Anghie "The Pig"
An M & M ProductionTivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh "Spielzeugland (Toyland)"
A Mephisto Film ProductionJochen Alexander Freydank
Achievement in sound editing
"The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Richard King "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Tom Sayers "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood "Wanted" (Universal) Wylie Stateman
Achievement in sound mixing
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt "Wanted" (Universal) Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Achievement in visual effects
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron "The Dark Knight" (Warner Bros.) Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin "Iron Man" (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment) John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
Adapted screenplay
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" (Paramount and Warner Bros.) Screenplay by Eric Roth
Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord"Doubt" (Miramax) Written by John Patrick Shanley "Frost/Nixon" (Universal) Screenplay by Peter Morgan "The Reader" (The Weinstein Company) Screenplay by David Hare "Slumdog Millionaire" (Fox Searchlight) Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
"Frozen River" (Sony Pictures Classics) Written by Courtney Hunt "Happy-Go-Lucky" (Miramax) Written by Mike Leigh "In Bruges" (Focus Features) Written by Martin McDonagh "Milk" (Focus Features) Written by Dustin Lance Black "WALL-E" (Walt Disney) Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon
Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
It's no joke.
The decade's biggest blockbuster, " The Dark Knight," could become the first superhero movie to be nominated for an Oscar for best film when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces the nominations for the 81st Annual Academy Awards early Thursday morning.The critically acclaimed Batman adventure has been developing a lot of momentum lately especially with its nominations for the Producers Guild of America top prize, the Directors Guild of America Award, the Writers Guild of America Award and several crafts honors.
At least one "Knight" nomination is all but certain -- best supporting actor for the late Heath Ledger, who died a year ago today of an overdose of prescription pills.
This year's critics' darling, the indie hit " Slumdog Millionaire," is also expected to perform well in the nominations, especially since it swept the Golden Globe Awards less than two weeks ago.
" Frost/Nixon," "Milk" and "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" are also top contenders for major awards.
Slumdog Millionaire is all set for the Oscars. Stars across the world seem to be saying--Slumdog Millionaire--Jai ho. India's track record at the Oscars hasn't been good so far. Only three Indian films--Mother India, Salaam Bombay and Lagaan have ever been nominated in the Best Foreign Film category.
India's true claim to fame came with the movie Gandhi. Bhanu Athaiya won for Best Costume Design in 1982. Satyajit Ray later got the Oscar's Lifetime Achievement award. From the voices in Hollywood to those right here in India, expectations are running high. As it is said, every dog has its day. The question, however, is--will Slumdog have its day at the Oscars.
HEATH Ledger's family face a bittersweet anniversary of his death tomorrow, with the talented young actor almost certain to be nominated for an Oscar a year to the day after he died.
Ledger is expected to get a nod for best supporting actor for playing The Joker in The Dark Knight – his last full film role before his death from an accidental prescription drug overdose in New York.
The Academy Awards nomination ceremony will be held just after midnight tonight Australian time.
But while Ledger appears a sure thing, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and almost 20 other Australian Oscar hopefuls are not such certainties.
Months of multi-million-dollar campaigns have been aimed at swaying the 6000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Will Blanchett rebound from snubs at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards and pick up a nomination for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?
If so, it will be Blanchett's fourth Oscar nomination in five years. Or does the Academy think it is time for Blanchett to have a year off?
Music composer A.R. Rahman Monday became the first Indian to win a Golden Globe award and is already looking forward to bagging an Oscar for his soundtrack for British filmmaker Danny Boyle's "Slumdog Millionaire".
"For the people of India to get an Oscar is a big thing. So for their sake, more than mine, I hope my song 'Jai ho' and my music score in 'Slumdog Millionaire' win the Oscar," Rahman told IANS on phone before the Golden Globe Awards ceremony.
Hollywood music composers like Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore and Danny Elfman have been impressed by the score Rahman has composed.
"They made genuinely warm comments about my music in 'Slumdog Millionaire'. I think they love the Mumbai that they have seen in the film and Danny has made terrific use of my music. The way he has mixed my songs, they are full on, like in a discotheque," the 43-year-old music maestro said.
"If my music has made an impact in the West, it is because it has been projected so effectively in 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Though some of the songs like 'Jai ho', 'O saya' and 'Ringa ringa' are in Hindi, the Americans love them," he added.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: I don't think any Indian musician has won the Golden Globe award?
A: I see it as an honour for India, not just for me. More to come, hopefully.
Q: The Golden Globe is seen as a precursor to the Oscars.
A: Let's hope so. I've my fingers crossed. When a film and my music get acceptance, it's the equivalent of an Oscar for me. For the people of India to get an Oscar is a big thing. So for their sake more than mine I hope my song "Jai ho" and my music score in "Slumdog Millionaire" win the Oscar.
Q: "Slumdog Millionaire" star Freida Pinto says of the four Golden Globe nominations for the movies, yours makes her the proudest.
A: That is really sweet of her. I was in Los Angeles to have lunch with all the panel members of the Oscars as well as to do press meets and promotion for "Slumdog Millionaire". Some critics in the US say it's one of the best films they've ever seen. It's not just about my music. It's the way Danny has put together the film.
The throbbing pulse of Mumbai has been superbly captured in the film. "Slumdog Millionaire" is about suffering, hope and redemption. If my music has made an impact in the West, it is because it has been projected so effectively. Though some of the songs like "Jai ho", "O saya" and "Ringa ringa" are in Hindi, the Americans love them.
Q: Were you in the US to lobby for an Oscar award for "Jai ho"?
A: It's not about lobbying. It's about letting the jury members meet you, get to know you and decide if the person behind the creation is worth putting a vote for. As an artist, I need to be recognised on a human level. So I needed to go to Hollywood with my song. I met top Hollywood music composers like Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore and Danny Elfman.
Q: And what did they have to say about your music?
A: They made genuinely warm comments about my music in "Slumdog Millionaire". I think they love the Mumbai that they have seen in the film and Danny has made terrific use of my music. The way he has mixed my songs, they are full on, like in a discotheque.
Q: Has Mumbai's image suffered a setback in the US after the Nov 26 terror attacks?
A: Everyone is a bit shaken. Security has been tightened even more in the US. But the way they look at India, our music and cinema is very positive. The image of Mumbai is still intact. I got the right vibes in Los Angeles. A lot of people want to come to India to collaborate in our entertainment industry. Akon and Nelly Furtago are interested. We just need to carry it forward.
“'Taare Zameen Par' is the final choice because it has a universal appeal and it has all the elements that make a good film, in terms of its production value, script, concept and story," filmmaker Sunil Darshan said here Saturday.
Darshan is the chairman of the 10-member jury set up by the Film Federation of India (FFI).
The movie was jointly produced by Aamir Khan Productions and PVR Pictures and starred Darsheel Safary as the protagonist. It it the story of an eight-year-old dyslexic boy and a teacher, played by Aamir, bringing the kid out of his predicament.
READ TAARE ZAMEEN PAR REVIEW
The other Bollywood films in competition were “A Wednesday”, “Rock On”, “Mumbai Meri Jaan”, "Jodhaa Akbar”, “Black & White” - all of which have won critical acclaim. There were also two Marathi films “Tingya” and “Vaalu” and a Telegu film “Gamyam” in contention.
“'Vaalu' has a fantastic screenplay and 'Tingya' has a good and sound script. It is not that other films were bad, but 'Taare Zameen Par' stood out among others,” Darshan added.
Another jury member Mahesh Kothare, a Marathi filmmaker and actor, was all praise for the selected film.
“As a jury, we had two basic intentions - that the chosen film must have a good chance of winning an Oscar and secondly, that it should meet certain parameters for an Oscar. These are content and cinematic excellence.
“'Taare Zameen Par' has it all. It has been made so perfectly. There is perfect direction, animation, screenplay, acting, script, and so there is no reason why it shouldn't have been choosen,” said Kothare.
He also exuded confidence that the film will finally bring India an Oscar in 2009.