You just can’t beat Sholay, even the sound

Says Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty

You just can't beat Sholay, even the sound

Says Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty

We all loved the haunting background score when Gabbar Singh appears on screen and asks Kaaliyau00a0 'Kitne admi the'.

Well, the sound of Bollywood classic 'Sholay' got a seal of approval from none other than Resul Pookutty, the Academy Award winning sound designer.

Pookutty believes the 1975 blockbuster has the best sound quality among all the movies made by the Mumbai film industry so far. Ramesh Sippy would have another reason to smile with it now.

Pookutty who won an Oscar along with Richard Pryke and Ian Tapp for best sound mixing in Danny Boyle's multiple award-winning Slumdog Millionaire feels that Bollywood still lacks professionalism when it comes to technical details.

"We plan for three months and record for a year, but they plan for a year and record only for three months. That makes all the difference. For good sound quality strong script is imperative, which the Bollywood lacks," Pookutty said while speaking at an event at the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts in New Delhi.

Though the 38-year-old technician has many international projects in his kitty, including one from Warner Bros., Bollywood is where his heart lies.

u00a0"I don't prefer chasing international projects," he said while pointing out that the technicians are considered second grade in the Indian film industry.

His fine work in Slumdog Millionaire also won him the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award.
Pookutty is all set to recreate his magic in the Bollywood with some upcoming movies like Blue andu00a0 Pappu Can't Dance Sala.

When asked how the life has changed after the Oscars he said, "Life is just the way it was before Oscars. I am a simple guy, not a celebrity."

He refused to answer whether 'O Saya' had better music than 'Jai Ho', which won the Oscar for best original song. "It's a political question. I would not really like to answer that," he said.

On asked in what way he identifies himself with Slumdog Millionaire, Pookutty said,u00a0 "The childhood I had is the reality of the 70 per cent of Indians. There isn't anything special about it."

Pookutty was in the Capital to release KA Francis' book The Essence of Aum. "Aum is the origin of every music and sound. It is not just a word, it comprises of every element of sound," he said.