Has her own personality, fought all her 'wars': AR Rahman about daughter who was trolled for Hijab
Chennai, Mar 11: Top music director A R Rahman is proud of his daughter Khatija, who had to face online trolling for wearing burqa and says she has her own personality and has fought "all wars" by herself.
The Oscar-winning Rahman feels India will rise up in art and culture if 'Naatu Naatu', the hit number from S S Rajamouli-directed 'RRR' bags the coveted Oscar award. It has been shortlisted for Original Song in the 95th Academy Awards.
In an interview to PTI, Rahman talked about the need for ensuring safety and security of every unit in the cinema industry that makes a movie possible.
He also shared his personal story as to why he has taken up this initiative to support the light man in Tamil cinema industry.
Excerpts from the interview
Q; What kind of songs you are listening to recently?
A: I am listening to 'naga naga' song from my own composition from the movie Ponniyan Selvan and also songs composed by son Ameen.
Q: When there are lot of production units in the cinema industry why is your concern particularly for the light man unit to raise funds for them?
A: Recently one of the light men died. Deep down I was shocked and I couldn't sleep for days when I was in London....I was devastated by it and I felt I had lost my brother. When I enquired about the Union and what they are going to help the deceased family--even my father died when I was young--then we discovered they don't have any insurance, website, safety equipment and they don't have anything.
Everybody thinks someone is going to do it and as an industry we have grown from a Rs 20 crore industry to Rs 1000 crore now.
We have taken our people and it's important (to note) that they don't have a voice. We need to give a voice to them, treat them like human beings.
Every month two or three people die and they get unnoticed. They get crushed in the vehicle where they load and lights fall on them, some people lose their hands. So it's pretty inhumane. It's not intentional but it's time that we notice all the stuff.
Also, recently my son met with an accident, and had a narrow escape. Its time to address safety of the lives of people who are making us look good.
Q: Why is there a deviation from pop music concerts to concerts which are exclusively for Sufi music?
A: People are wanting to hear these kind of Sufi concerts in Chennai, they have been asking me for years, here is the opportunity to have fun and to raise awareness for people who need a lot of love.
Q: What are your expectations from Naatu Naatu song which has been nominated for an Oscar?
A:....it is going to make the profile of India and raise the profile of India. It will be an ambassador. After Jai Ho (from Slumdog millionaire) won Oscars people started to listen to my other sound tracks and they listened to other Indian composers. The whole profile of India will rise up, art and cultural wise.
Q: Musician Khatija Rahman's song "Sagavasi" has got millions of views on YouTube and how to do you see it?
A: As a father I am always proud of her, she is a unique daughter, she has her own personality....lot of tough things on social media, she has single-handedly fought all those wars and yet she is kind. She is an amazing human being and god bless her.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
