'Slumdog' composer Rahman wins 2 Oscars

In just one night, Indian film composer A.R. Rahman equaled the number of Oscars his fellow Indians had taken home during the first 80 years of the Academy Awards.

The 43-year-old composer, hailed in India as the Mozart of the Madras, won Oscars Sunday for best original soundtrack and best original song, both from the movie "Slumdog Millionaire."

Other Indians to collect Oscar gold before him were costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, honored for "Gandhi" in 1982, and arthouse director Satyajit Ray, who received a lifetime achievement award in 1992.

"I was excited and terrified," the soft-spoken Rahman said as he collected his first Oscar, for best original soundtrack. "The last time I felt like that was during my marriage."

Rahman competed against himself in the best song category with two nominations, for "O ... Saya" and "Jai Ho." He won for the latter, the title of which translates in English to "Be Victorious."

Rahman is no stranger to success in India. His fans there and elsewhere have made him one of the world's best-selling recording artists, on par globally with the Rolling Stones and Madonna.

He believes music and film can bring people together despite boundaries of race, nationality and religion.

"All my life, I had a choice of hate and love. I chose love, and I'm here," he said as he collected his second Oscar.

Long an advocate of the universality of music, Rahman has called on people to be open to all styles, from heavy metal to jazz to hip hop to R&B.

Danny Boyle, who won the best director Oscar for "Slumdog Millionaire," said that he attempted to give Rahman the leeway he needed to pursue various musical forms in scoring the movie.

"I'm really happy and grateful it worked out," Rahman said.

'Slumdog Millionaire' closing in on Oscars glory

Final preparations for the Oscars are being made, with uplifting drama "Slumdog Millionaire" poised to romp home in the race for the coveted best picture prize.

The red carpet was being vacuumed and streets surrounding Hollywood's Kodak Theater were sealed off to the public with the 81st edition of the Academy Awards less than 24 hours away.

The build-up to this year's ceremony has been dominated by the Bollywood-inspired "Slumdog", which has dominated other awards shows and is considered the overwhelming favorite for the best picture statuette.

Although period drama "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" will start the night with the most nominations, 13, compared to 10 for "Slumdog," experts say that British director Danny Boyle's film is unbeatable.

"It would be the biggest upset in modern Oscars history to see 'Slumdog' lose," said Pete Hammond, a veteran awards season pundit and Maxim film critic.

"It hasn't stumbled once this awards season. It has had an unprecedented sweep. It's the equivalent of the perfect season in football or baseball."

Pundits say "Slumdog" has delighted audiences with its rags-to-riches plot about a Mumbai teaboy who rises out from poverty and enters a television quiz show to win millions and be reunited with the love of his life.

The against-the-odds triumph of the film's central character is mirrored by the movie's improbable march towards Oscars glory. Made for only 15 million dollars, the film features a cast of unknown actors and is partially subtitled.

The movie was also very nearly released straight to DVD in the United States last year, a move which would have ruled it out of Oscars contention.