Kolkata: When sports and music combine, it always spells magic. And if you have the maestro AR Rahman as an integral part of the combination, you expect sheer fireworks. And Rahman has been mentioned under the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories for the Academy Awards for his work in the film Pele: Birth of a Legend.
The nominations will be announced on January 24. Rahman has already bagged two Oscars for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009 and music lovers from India would be hoping, he adds to the list with the film. The biopic of the soccer legend Pele, directed by Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist, stars Kevin de Paula, Rodrigo Santoro, Diego Boneta among others. Released on May 6 this year, the film earned around 2.3 million dollars worldwide. The film unfortunately was slammed by some critics.
According to PTI, 145 original scores are fighting for the award. Ginga from Pele… is vying in the Original Song category which has 91 contenders as per the list released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Rahman had earlier said in an interview to PTI, “When I was approached for the project, I first Googled who Pele was, because my life is all music. I saw amazing things about him and who he was. After that I read the script. I had tremendous respect for the project.” Talking of Ginga, Rahman was quoted, “Ginga was one of the main things how Pele won won a match. I found the word very interesting.”
The Oscar ceremony will be held on February 26, next year at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. Will the legendary Rahman make it for the second time? That’s the question haunting us. But given the competition, it may not be a cakewalk for Rahman. Yet, we pray he makes it!