TOLLYWOOD TRIP

Feb 26, 2009

Asin selected Kalaimamani Award


Asin has not changed a bit after she rocked Bollywood with her debut film in Hindi, Ghajini, which went on to become the biggest grosser (Rs 255 crore in 50 days) in the history of Indian cinema.

She has much to cheer about being selected to receive a Kalaimamani Award. Talking to CT exclusively from Mumbai, Asin said, “I’m delighted to get the Kalaimamani Award. It is an honour and an indication of the state government’s recognition of my hard work. I’m also privileged to get it along with people like Shobhana chechi, whom I consider one of the finest actresses and a great dancer.”

However, the actress is more excited about the Oscar Awards that her friends Resul Pookutty and A R Rahman have received. “I’m on cloud nine because Resul and Rahman have made India proud.” says the pretty actress. She says she has been fortunate to be associated with the “best of the best in my debut film in Hindi, be it Aamir, Rahman or Resul”.

Asin gets nostalgic when she talks about her first meeting with Resul. “It was the first day of shooting of Ghajini at Madh Islands and I was a bit tense as we were going to shoot with sync sound. Normally, they shoot using a boom mike, but Resul wanted to experiment and he literally wired me up with lapel mikes and other paraphernalia which I had to hide under my costumes. He laughed and told Aamir that I’m all wired up like a suicide bomber, but everything went off well though I was a bit uncomfortable. Later, when I saw the rushes I realised the trouble Resul took to get it perfectly right.”

Asin says Resul used the same technique in Slumdog Millionaire by wiring up the entire street Danny Boyle shot with as many as 16 microphones to capture two people conversing in a crowd.

Added Asin, “I think he goes more by his instincts than technique, making him innovative, and daring. Remember the scene in Ghajini, where Kalpana hands over cash to Sanjay Singhania in the dead of the night? It is one of the most moving scenes in the film where silence conveys the love between them. We shot the scene at 2 am on a deserted Mumbai street. At the editing table, Resul spotted the hum of a generator in the background, and made us dub for that scene again in a studio to enhance the scene and sound quality.”

Asin spoke to him immediately after he won the Oscar and congratulated him.As far as Rahman is concerned, she was a big fan of his from her school days in Kochi.

Says Asin, “I have never had the opportunity to meet Rahman sir. I hope I have a chance to meet him when I do my next film Walt Disney’s 19 Steps, directed by Bharath Bala. I’m indebted to him for the Guzarish... song in Ghajini.

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