He’s at it again! The Mozart of Madras has a chance to repeat his feat from 2009 when he won two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire — as his work for the biopic Pele: Birth of a Legend finds the composer in the running for two Oscars again!
A.R. Rahman is included in the long list of 145 scores in contention for a nomination in the Original Score category, while his song Ginga from the film also finds a place among 91 songs challenging to be nominated in the Original Song category. Co-directed by Jeff and Michael Zimbalist, Pele: Birth of a Legend traces the early life and history of iconic Brazilian football player Pele.
Though it didn’t exactly set the box office on fire, the biopic came in for great praise for its soundtrack, which will compete with other Oscar favourites like La La Land and Moana, in the list of contenders released by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
After his spectacular success with Slumdog Millionaire, in 2011, ARR’s score for Danny Boyle’s film 127 Hours, and song If I Rise from the same flick, also found place in the final Oscar nominations — but lost to The Social Network and Toy Story 3 respectively.
The final nominations for the 89th Academy Awards will be announced on January 24, with the presentation ceremony is scheduled to take place on February 26 at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood and Highland Centre in Los Angeles. Wishes have started pouring in for the composer from across the globe already!
