From the hottest nightspots in New York to the snazzy rooftop lounges of Beirut, AR Rahman's Jai Ho still reverberates over speakers, one year and several awards later. Call it the globalisation of music or simply a Slumdog Millionaire hangover, but the Hollywood moment for this 43-year-old musical prodigy is far from over.

The Indian artist, who was in Abu Dhabi for the Middle East International Film Festival, demands top dollar these days for a sound that marries Eastern music to a mainstream sound.

Collaborations with Nicole Scherzinger of The Pussycat Dolls and the iconic Kylie Minogue may not have garnered many fans in the Asian Sub-continent, but Rahman's first full-fledged Hollywood project, Couples Retreat, has brought the Bollywood beat to the powerful corridors of Universal Studios.

"I did receive a lot of negative feedback over the Jai Ho remix with The Pussycat Dolls, but the idea behind that track was to market this sound to a wider, international fan base and the song did just that," said Rahman. "Plus, it worked for my Hollywood career and got me Couples Retreat."

"When I signed on for the film, the brief given to me was a group of misfits retire to an international island for a brief stay where they encounter an Indian guru. So I thought, why should I continue to produce boring stuff when global tastes are changing? I had a platform and I used it. In this case, bringing Hindi, Sanskrit and Tamil languages into a Hollywood film soundtrack," he said.

The Vince Vaughn production has already climbed to the top of the weekend box office with $35.3 million, (Dh130m) since its Friday opening, with the music album garnering positive reviews on Amazon.com. Ask Rahman if this experimentation was worth the risk and the musician gives a non-committal response.

"You have to understand, I've been composing music since the age of 11. Now, at 43, I have done it all and it's time for me to move on to new challenges," he said.

"My public profile also enables me to use my position for a greater good. After 9/11, there was hatred amongst races and religion, yet music transcends all these barriers. Lyrics perform a great role in carrying subliminal messages and I have banked on this to change international perception. Now people listen to Indian music with pride and I believe I have played a small part in this thanks to Slumdog Millionaire."

However, few know that Rahman almost did not sign his Hollywood launch project two years ago due to a packed schedule.

"When my agent approached me with Slumdog, all he said was 'Do you want to experiment with a film that will only get you £30,000?' To take on the Danny Boyle film, which had no budget at the time, was to let go of my friend Ashutosh Gowariker's Bollywood film. But sometimes you listen to instinct," he said.

These days Rahman's calendar is booked until 2011 with Hollywood, Bollywood and private albums taking up the bulk of his time. While the composer remains tight-lipped about a rumoured collaboration with Lady Gaga and MIA, he does regret that his chance to work with pop icon Michael Jackson has gone.


High voltage watts

The capital upped its star power over the weekend as Hollywood's Naomi Watts jetted into the Emirates for the final leg of the Middle East International Film Festival, which came to a close last night.

For those not in the know, Watts' next project is being co-financed from Abu Dhabi's Imagenation's and Participant Media's $250 million (Dh918m) film fund, which also stars Sean Penn in the lead. The film sees Watts essay the role of ousted CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson who came under crossfire during the Bush administration in the United States.

In a public discussion with media and fans, the actress talked about the challenges she faced portraying a living person on the silver screen, saying: "Playing a real person can be quite daunting. I spent a lot of time with Valerie to understand her better."

Talking about her Middle East experience, Watts said while shooting in Jordan was amazing, it was her time in Cairo that was most memorable.

"We were out on the streets of Cairo filming Fair Game, and even crossing the road there is a highly dangerous act because of that crazy traffic," she said.

When asked if she would consider acting in an Arabic film, the award-winning actress relayed her enthusiasm but felt her language skills, or lack of, would let her down.

Watts shot to fame in 2001 with David Lynch's Mullholand Drive and credits the director for her Hollywood fame.

The talented actress said she chooses her characters with darker shades on purpose because they bring out the best in her.

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