Happy birthday to the music maestro behind timeless hits like ‘Yeh Haseen Waadiyaan,’ ‘Tu Hi Re,’ ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam,’ and so many more!
A two-time Academy Award winner and five-time nominee, A.R. Rahman is celebrated as the trailblazer who revolutionized contemporary Indian music. A true polymath—composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist—Rahman, fondly known as the “Mozart of Madras,” marks his 58th birthday today. With a career spanning over 30 years, Rahman made his remarkable debut with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Roja’ in 1992, and proved that he was here to stay. Over the years, he has gifted us timeless songs across languages and earned international acclaim, including an Oscar for the iconic song ‘Jai Ho.’ But, did you know this Oscar-winning anthem was originally composed for the Salman Khan film ‘Yuvvraaj’? Let’s explore this interesting trivia further!
The iconic ‘Jai Ho’ was originally composed for ‘Yuvvraaj’ and not ‘Slumdog Millionaire’!
Renowned composer A.R. Rahman’s iconic song ‘Jai Ho’ is widely associated with the Oscar-winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ but few know it was originally composed for Subhash Ghai’s Bollywood film ‘Yuvvraaj,’ starring Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Zayed Khan, and Katrina Kaif. The song was initially planned to be filmed on Zayed Khan. However, Ghai felt uncertain about whether the song was fit for the movie or Zayed's ability to do it justice. Reflecting on the decision, Ghai revealed, “That ‘Jai Ho’ song was made for ‘Yuvvraaj.’ We recorded it, but after recording, I felt that it won’t work for us in that situation. Rahman gave the song to that (Slumdog Millionaire) film. It is his composition.”
Despite its journey away from ‘Yuvvraaj,’ ‘Jai Ho’ became a defining moment in Rahman’s career. His collaboration with Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ earned him two Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards—Best Original Song for ‘Jai Ho’ and Best Original Score—cementing his global stature in film music.
‘Jai Ho,’ composed by A.R. Rahman for the 2008 film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ starring Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, became an instant global sensation. When director Danny Boyle invited Rahman to create the film’s soundtrack, he included this now-iconic song. It plays during a choreographed dance sequence in the end credits, with choreography by Longinus Fernandes. Indian singer Tanvi Shah contributed an English section to the song, both writing and providing vocals. At the time of its release, ‘Jai Ho’ was celebrated worldwide and praised as the best track on the ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ soundtrack. It went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media. A true classic, indeed!
