Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman and his wife Saira have announced their decision to part ways after nearly three decades of marriage. In a joint statement issued through their lawyer, Vandana Shah and Associates, the couple described the decision as "difficult" but necessary. "After many years of marriage, Mrs. Saira and her husband Mr. A R. Rahman have made the difficult decision to separate from each other," reads the statement. The decision, said the lawyer, "comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship". "Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and difficulties have created an insurmountable gap between them, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time," the statement said, underscoring that the "decision comes out of pain and agony". The couple requested privacy and understanding from the public during this challenging period, asking for space as they navigate this phase of their lives. The couple, who married in 1995, have three children: Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen. On Instagram Stories, their son Ameen urged the public to respect their privacy, thanking them for their understanding. AR Rahman, lauded as the "Mozart of Madras" by Time magazine, gained global acclaim for his work on Slumdog Millionaire, which won him an Oscar. Beginning his career at the age of five, he achieved national recognition with his music for the 1992 film Roja. With inputs from NDTV

Bangladeshi film critic, screenwriter, and journalist Sadia Khalid Reeti has joined the panel of jurors for the international section of the 41st Tehran International Short Film Festival (TISFF) alongside the Oscar-winning Indian music composer AR Rahman. Reeti confirmed this in a Facebook post on Thursday, sharing her excitement to be nominated as a jury member alongside Rahman and other esteemed jurors. “Sharing the stage with AR Rahman as a jury member of the super prestigious, Oscar-qualifying, Tehran International Short Film Festival. So blessed,” she wrote. Bangladeshi critic Sadia Khalid Reeti walks official Cannes Red Carpet as FIPRESCI jury member Other members of this year's festival jury include the Ghanaian-Belgian director Anthony Nti, Italian filmmaker Maja Costa, and Russian festival producer Ekaterina Yakovleva, as well as Iranian filmmakers Ahmad Reza Motamedi and Masoud Madadi, according to Tehran Times and IRNA. A member of the recently announced National Film Grant Selection Committee and National Film Advisory Committee, Reeti was the sole representative from Bangladesh at the 77th Cannes Film Festival this year, as a member of the FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) jury. She served on the FIPRESCI jury for the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year, which marked her second tenure on the jury at the festival, following her 2019 participation in Critics’ Week and Directors’ Fortnight. Bollywood’s iconic music composer AR Rahman is globally revered for redefining contemporary music through his works in Indian cinema—predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in international cinema. The Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, musician, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist's work gained global prominence particularly in 2008, with the extraordinary success of his score for the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ that received eight Oscars including two for Rahman. He won over 15 awards for this score including two Grammys, the Golden Globe and the BAFTA. This year’s Tehran International Short Film Festival received a record-breaking 13,651 submissions from more than 30 countries including India, China, Poland, the United States, Egypt, Greece, France, Palestine, Turkey, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Japan, Germany, Italy, and Cuba, among others.

In a landmark achievement for Indian music, the celebrated band Shakti, featuring the legendary tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, percussionist V Selvaganesh, and violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, clinched the Best Global Music Album award for their latest work, “This Moment,” at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Shortly after the ceremony, musical icon AR Rahman, who was in attendance, shared a moment of pride on social media, posting a selfie with Shakti’s acclaimed members – Mahadevan, Hussain, and Selvaganesh.T op Grammy Award winners of 2024 Rahman’s post, filled with joy, praised their remarkable success: “It’s raining Grammys for India…Congrats Grammy winners #ustadzakirhussain (3 Grammys) @shankar.mahadevan (first Grammy) @selvaganesh,” capturing the celebratory spirit of the moment. In an additional feather in their cap, Zakir Hussain, along with flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, also received the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Performance for their collaborative piece, “Pashto.” This composition further earned accolades as Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, highlighting the diverse talents within the Indian music scene. Miley Cyrus wins record of the year at Grammys Ricky Kej, an Indian music composer and Grammy laureate himself, extended his congratulations via a heartfelt video of Shakti's acceptance speech, emphasizing the brilliance of these musicians and their contribution to India's global recognition in music. Kej’s enthusiastic post on X celebrated the band’s victory: “SHAKTI wins a Grammy!!! Through this album 4 brilliant Indian musicians won Grammys!! Just amazing. India is shining in every direction…” This year’s Grammy success for Shakti and its members adds to a growing list of international accolades for Indian artists, including AR Rahman’s dual Grammy wins in 2010 for his work on “Slumdog Millionaire”. Taylor Swift wins Grammy album of the year for the 4th time

The High Court today (January 09, 2024) asked Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulation Commission (BTRC) to remove the distorted re-composition of Bangladesh’s National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s timeless song “Karar Oi Louho Kopat” from all online platforms, including Facebook and YouTube. The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Razik-Al-Jalil passed the order after hearing a writ petition. Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir, on behalf of ten lawyers of the Supreme Court and a human rights organisation Law and Live Foundation Trust, filed the writ petition on December 6. Read: Benapole Express fire: Fire Service has no clue on the cause yet   Secretaries to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Information and Communication Technology Ministry, Cultural Affairs Ministry, Bangladesh Telecommunication and Regulation Commission and Kabi Nazrul Institute were made respondents. On November 19, Barrister Mohammad Humayun Kabir sent a legal notice to the respondents seeking directives to remove the “distorted” re-composition of the national poet’s song from all online platforms. Read: Pirojpur-2: Legal action recommended against Manju's wife   The original composer and lyricist of the song is National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam, according to the writ petition. Renowned Indian music composer AR Rahman re-composed the song which is used in the film “Pippa.” “Karar Oi Louho Kopat” is an immortal song and generations of listeners will be confused if both the familiar tune composed by Bangladesh’s national poet and the “distorted” version are available on online platforms, reads the writ. 

After massive backlash over AR Rahman’s interpretation of Bangladesh’s National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam’s song "Karar Oi Louho Kopat" in the latest Bollywood war film “Pippa”, the makers have issued an apology on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). The Raja Krishna Menon-directed film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli, Soni Razdan and others, was released on November 10 on Amazon Prime Video. The film features battle between India and Pakistan in then East Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War. Produced by RSVP Movies and Roy Kapur Films, the film features a remake of the Nazrul song "Karar Oi Louho Kopat". The remake version has been composed by Oscar winning-music composer AR Rahman and features Indian singers Rahul Dutta, Tirtha Bhattacharjee, Pijush Das, Shrayee Paul, Shalini Mukherjee and Dilasa Chowdhury. After the release of the song, Nazrul exponents and admirers along with general audiences in both Bangladesh and India expressed massive dissatisfaction over the remake. Read: “Leelabati Nag: The Rebel” premiered at Liberation War Museum In response to that, the film’s makers stated: “We understand the emotional attachment that audiences may have to the original composition, and while all art is inherently subjective, if our interpretation has hurt sentiments or caused unintended distress, we offer our sincere apologies.” The statement notes that the producers, director and music composer of the film “Pippa” wish to clarify that their rendition of the song is a sincere artistic interpretation, embarked upon only after securing the necessary adaptation rights from the estate of the Late Kazi Nazrul Islam. According to the statement, they approached the making of this song by faithfully following both the letter and the spirit of the license agreement for the lyrics, as duly signed by the late Kalyani Kazi and witnessed by Anirban Kazi. “Our intent was to pay homage to the cultural significance of the song while adhering to the terms set forth in our agreement, which permitted us to use the lyrics with a new composition,” the statement claims. Read: Something Like An Autobiography: Real Story or Just a Film? Earlier on Saturday, several of the country’s eminent Nazrul exponents shared their official statements against the “distortion” of the song at a press conference held at the Kabi Nazrul Institute in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi. General Secretary of Bangladesh Nazrul Sangeet Sangstha (BNSS) Khairul Anam Shakil, Kazi Nazrul Islam’s granddaughter Mistee Kazi, Nazrul exponent Sadya Afreen Mallick, veteran Nazrul singer Shaheen Samad, singer Bulbul Islam and others were present at the press conference. According to the prominent Indian newspaper The Times of India, Kalyani Kazi’s agreement to the makers mentioned that she was "represented" to the production house as the "sole surviving legal heir" and "all rights, title and interest in the literary work are owned and vests" on her. It also stated that she was "authorized to grant the licence". "We came to know about the agreement through the media. Legally, I am not sure if Kalyani Kazi could ignore all of us and enter into an agreement saying she is the only heir," Mistee Kazi told The Times of India. Read: First-ever Arka Fashion Week concludes in style

AR Rahman, India’s renowned Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer joined as the latest team member for renowned Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s upcoming international project ‘No Land’s Man’.