AR Rahman’s recent show at the Hollywood Bowl has come under the scanner.
Shonali Bose, the director of Konkona Sen Sharma’s “Amu”, has used an expletive to describe his recent show at the Hollywood Bowl. A member from Rahman’s team has officially reacted to the director’s comment on her social networking profile, that goes like: “Just returned from a most c*****ya concert at the hollywood bowl wrongly advertised as an AR Rahman concert.
Me and a zillion other desis who were there felt totally cheated and want our time and money back! they made AR an announcer! He came on stage and read out the synopses of his (worst) films — such
disasters as raavan, mangal pandey and robot! and then we had to hear the boring score played by the la philharmonic! the highlight of the event was walking around in the beginning before the show started and finding so many good friends there. if you were there and are not bubbling with gaalis please enlighten me!” (sic)
Meanwhile, Rahman’s office has reacted to this comment. Says Vijay Iyer, a member of Rahman’s team, “It was always publicized as an orchestral show and that the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra would perform his works. Last year, the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed a similar concert in London which was well-received. He just concluded his multi-city Jai Ho tour a few months aho and also performed at Nagpur and Bangalore a few weeks back, which was a different format complete with singers, dancers and lots of fireworks. This was a different format.
An orchestra is always led by a conductor, who in this, happened to be Matt Dunkley. Were they expecting Rahman to stand with the orchestra for the full duration? The show has been very well-received and we have been flooded with compliments and requests for more such shows.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/music/news-and-interviews/AR-Rahman-bowled/articleshow/9281055.cms