LOS ANGELES: AR Rahman’s chartbuster Chhaiyan Chhaiyan makes a surprise appearance in filmmaker Spike Lee’s first Hollywood-backed film Inside Man. The song is used in the background at the opening of the heist thriller starring Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington and Clive Owen. It is played again at the conclusion of the movie, which has drawn strong critical notice.

Lee, who has distinguished himself as a powerful independent filmmaker in the past 20 years, is for the first time directing a typical Hollywood production made by Universal Studios.

The Rahman composition written by veteran Gulzar has captured the imagination of mainstream American film watchers. At a production office, an executive who saw the film asked his Indian American colleague to get her a CD of the song. A senior journalist with The Wall Street Journal said he was amazed at the rising influence of Indian movies. He specifically mentioned the Rahman song from Inside Man as an example.