Slumdog makes India proud with 8 Oscars

There’s not a single Indian heart that does not seem to be echoing the sentiment, “Yes, we have done it.” So what if it took a UK director to come here and make a film that not only swept all international awards, but also made the world sit up and notice India, Bollywood and Mumbai! BT spoke to the film industry which celebrated Slumdog Millionaire’s success as if it was their own...



Kareeda Begum (Rahman’s mother)
My first thanks is to God. He is the one who has made him grow so big. I think it is the reward for the amount of hard work he put into all his musical tracks. This double delight has brought glory to the nation.


Fathima (Rahman’s younger sister )
The song Jai Ho is awe inspiring and it gives us the feeling that we are victorious. I thought he’d go international with Lagaan but now, he has got it. He is humble and more importantly, patient. That’s what has got him so far.

Amitabh Bachchan
I feel this win by Rahman and Rasool is most deserving and feel extremely proud to be an Indian. They have done great service in bringing Indian cinema to a recognised international forum. I am most happy that our musicians and technicians have been rewarded.

Akshay Kumar
What can I say, I am proud to stand here and honour the most famous and memorable Indian movie to be appreciated world wide, even though it took a Britisher to make it. I think he’s made a brilliant movie and we should all join our hands and respect Danny Boyle and his crew for putting India back so highly on the map...

Aamir Khan
My heartfelt congrats to the team. It’s one of those rare moments of pride to see Rahman and Rasool who worked with me in Ghajini, and all of them go up there and make history.
Whether this has paved the way for Indian cinema, we will only get to know when the process begins. But the fact is that talents from our side of the continent have been duly recognised which is great.

Salman Khan
Mashallah! It’s great news not just for the industry but for the entire nation. I am sure now the world’s seemingly at the feet of Indian cinema. And we must use all the opportunities available to us. With the Oscars as our inspiration, I am sure we will be able to bridge more the gap between the West and us.

Sonam Kapoor
I haven't slept the whole night and my voice has gone - shouting and screaming when I saw Slumdog lift eight Oscars. Dad looked so handsome on the red carpet. I spoke to him and he was extremely happy that the film has won so many awards. Rahman is a genius, he is to ഇന്ത്യന്‍ music what Sachin Tendulkar is to Indian cricket.

Kareena Kapoor
Well done Rahman! Coming from a film family and as someone who loves cinema, I would like to thank Rahman personally for opening the doors internationally for us and for showing the West his talent as an Indian. It is a proud moment for our country and we should all celebrate this event together...

Shilpa Shetty
I burst out crying when I saw Rahman and Rasool Pookutty get the Oscars. We all knew that Rahman would get one because he has already done so at the Baftas, but Rasool getting an Oscar was really heart warming. Even though the film’s not by an Indian, the fact that Indian nationals are being recognised by the world is a great feeling.

Preity Zinta
I was 100 per cent sure Rahman was going to win the award. He has given such fabulous music for so many films. All this while he was just knocking at the door. If it wasn’t at the Oscars then where else would it be! Rasool too has captured the sound of Mumbai so fantastically and Gulzarsaab’s lyrics are out of this world. He’s on a different level altogether. With Indians being recognised internationally, all the boundaries between the east and the west are finally being erased. It’s an awesome film and you can’t take that away from Danny Boyle.

Dilip Kumar
Aise laage jaise kal chand nikla ho. Hamare ghar mein mahaul toh Idd ka hai. We all should congratulate each other. It’s a victory for all Indians. As for Rahman, I all throughout knew he is an outstanding musician. Words will fall short if I have to praise him.

Bipasha Basu
I am delighted beyond words and really happy, excited and proud. The modesty and graciousness with which Rahman accepted the award, he truly epitomised India and the Indian culture at that moment. It doesn’t matter whether the film was made by an Indian or a British filmmaker. It’s Indian talent that’s won the recogntiton and that’s all that matters.

Madhur Bhandarkar
It’s an absolutely great moment for all Indians, moreso for Mumbaiites. The film put our Indian talent on the global map and this award is certainly a milestone for all of us. The world cannot not acknowledge our contribution to world cinema any more. At the same time, it’s inspiring and encouraging for the entire film industry.

Subhash Ghai
I am extremely proud of Rahman and all the Indian talent that’s being recognised at such a level. We have proven that we have the potential to be the best, now we need to keep it up. We need to make films that cater to the sensibilities of the international audiences too. What we need are good scriptwriters and given the existing talent, there’s no reason why we won’t repeat Slumdog’s success.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra
There is nothing much to say. All that we can do is sit back and savour this historic moment.

Raju Hirani
A great sense of pride and jubilation has swept the country. I am really happy that there is recognition for Indian talent at an international platform. Congratulations to Gulzaarsaab, A R Rahman and Rasool. They really deserve it.

Sajid Nadiadwala
It’s celebration time for all of us. Today we are wondering how we managed to cut through the thick competition with the West and made a mark, tomorrow I know there will come a time when we will be shocked if we don’t get the Oscars. This is the true bridging of the gap. Hats off to the Slumdog team.

Priyanka Chopra
The entire team of Slumdog Millionaire has made India and Mumbai proud. We are all proud.

Karan Johar
The honour bestowed on genius members of our fraternity is the beginning of an era... an era that will acknowledge and recognise the incomparable soul of our cinema. Today we are no longer in a ‘wood’ that is a rhyme of another industry... we are pioneers of a cinematic jungle... hopefully, we will roar for decades.