Couples Retreat - A. R. Rahman’s first foray into Hollywood film

PR Log (Press Release) – Nov 21, 2009 – Academy Award-winning composer and internationally renowned musician A.R. Rahman makes his first foray into composing music for an American comedy feature film with Universal Pictures’ forthcoming romantic comedy, Couples Retreat. The soundtrack will be released via Saregama India Limited digitally and in all retail outlets nationwide on November 30th.

For Couples Retreat, A.R. Rahman has conjured up the sounds of a tropical island oasis fusing the laid-back rhythms of island music along with his gift for creating golden melodies.  The opportunity to work on Couples Retreat was a welcome challenge for Rahman who created a score that complements the film’s light-hearted tone with a hint of his signature “Indian” sound.

"There are so many musical avenues to be explored,” says Rahman. “I’ve wanted to try new things and for a long time and had hoped to have the opportunity to venture into American comedy. This film presented a lot of creative challenges and was deeply rewarding to be a part of.

A.R. Rahman captured the international spotlight after winning two Academy Awards for ‘Best Original Score’ for his work on Slumdog Millionaire and ‘Best Original Song’ for “Jai Ho” (Music by Rahman, Lyrics by Gulzar). Rahman also became the first Indian artist to win a Golden Globe for ‘Best Original Score’ and took home numerous awards including the Critics Choice Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Award and a BAFTA for Slumdog Millionaire.  Rahman’s score and soundtrack received critical praise from publications including Rolling Stone, Time Magazine, The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times.

A true artist who has redefined contemporary Indian music, A.R. Rahman is an icon in the world of cinematic scoring.  He has been hailed by TIME magazine as the “Mozart of Madras” and was included in 2009’s TIME 100, which profiles the world’s most influential people, as well as Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business.  He has also earned the designation of being one of the world’s top 25 all-time selling recording artists with sales of 100 million albums worldwide.

Couples Retreat is directed by Peter Billingsley and stars Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Jon Favreau, Malin Akerman, Kristin Davis, Kristen Bell and Faizon Love. Based on an original idea of Vaughn’s, the comedy follows four Midwestern couples who embark on a journey to a tropical island resort.  While one of the couples is there to work on their marriage, the other three set out to jet ski, spa and enjoy some fun in the sun.  They soon discover that participation in the resort’s couples therapy is not optional.  Suddenly, their group-rate vacation comes at a price.  What follows is a hilarious look at real world problems faced by all couples.  The film also stars Kali Hawk and Jean Reno.

-   H. S. Communication