Elbowing out

Tennis injury makes Gulzar miss Oscar ceremony

Lyricist Gulzar was missing at the Oscars in Los Angeles. Why didn't he go?

"Because," Gulzar Saab deadpans, "I didn't have a black coat and no lawyer was willing to lend me a size that fitted. I was too nervous to attend without a black coat."

Prod him a bit more and he comes out with the truth, "My right shoulder got hurt while playing tennis. I pulled a muscle two weeks ago and undergoing physiotherapy.

I have a tennis tournament on March 1. I'll play even if I lose. But I didn't want us to lose at the Oscars."

He continues, "Forget about me. I feel very proud of Rahman always have, always will. I think Rahman brought a change to Indian film songs, for years now.

He gave a new form to it. This recognition at the Oscars proves that he has made a world of difference to the Hindi film music."

My song won!

Gulzar adds, "When I heard the announcement for his first Oscar, I got a lump in my throat. It was enough for me. I got up and left the room.

I didn't know my song Jai Ho had won the Oscar. My son-in-law Govind came and hugged me and said, 'It's won a double Oscar. One's for your song'."

The lyricist feels the double Oscar is a benchmark for our cinema. "It makes Indian cinema a part of world cinema. The Oscars certainly put us under a global gaze.

Since the Oscars are American, our Indian films never before went into mainstream categories. Slumdog Millionaire has opened up doors for us."

He is also very proud of Resul Pookutty's Oscar for sound mixing. "Rahman's Oscar we all expected. I'm happy to be part of his second Oscar. But Resul's recognition is a major breakthrough for all the technicians in Indian cinema."

He's there, too!

Gulzar would also like to mention Sukhwinder Singh who sang the Oscar-winning song Jai Ho.

"No one else is mentioning him. He's an integral part of Jai Ho.

Of course, Rahman is the most important part of the song.

But after that, Sukhwinder and I are also important components in the song."