A.R. Rahman says life has dramatically changed after Oscars

Being voted one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine has seen his popularity soar. Oscar-winning Indian composer A.R. Rahman not only got an opportunity to share the same platform with US First Lady Michelle Obama, he also had the whole audience in New York chanting "Jai ho"."At the function I was on the same table as Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and the CEO of Time magazine. When I went up to the stage, a chant of 'Jai ho' (the Oscar-winning song from 'Slumdog Millionaire') went up in the house." The music maestro, who won two golden statuettes for his compositions in British filmmaker Danny Boyle's underdog drama, says the awards have had a huge impact on his life. "The impact of 'Slumdog Millionaire' has been tremendous. The western perception of Third World countries has changed. Earlier when some of the most talented musicians of Asia would approach western companies, they'd encounter stumbling blocks. Today that has changed. The west is ready to listen to us," Rahman told IANS in an interview. Rahman admits that dealing with the huge amount of attention after the Oscars has been unnerving. "Yes, the Oscar changed my life. I can't even attend places of prayer without being recognised. Even when I'm at malls in the US, kids freeze in recognition when they see me. I need to concentrate on my music. I'm not the kind of guy who can pull himself away from my music, attend functions, give interviews and get back to what I'm supposed to do. It's like entering and leaving new cities," he said.