Slumdog Millionaire’s soundtrack, penned by renowned Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, is an entrancing melange of styles, incorporating techno, punk-edged rock, and Indian music, including sitar solos.

Rahman, known as “the Mozart of Madras” at home, where he has sold more than 100 million albums, says the Slumdog soundtrack is near and dear “because the music is all cultures, all celebrating.”

“In India, I know people feel other film scores [of mine] are closer to their hearts,” he told Washington Post writer Emily Wax. “But when you are doing a film, it’s very important to make the film look like one full piece of artwork. I think scoring ‘Slumdog’ with every kind of music possible, from Chinese to hip-hop to M.I.A. . . . was really fresh ground for me.”

Rahman, who has achieved household-name status in India, received three Oscar nominations — two for best song, one for best original score — for the film, directed by Danny Boyle. One of those songs, “Jai Ho,” played during the exuberant dance sequence that caps Slumdog, has become a club hit in Europe and the U.S., and has been heard at Paris fashion shows.

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