Oscar winner musician AR Rahman is facing the camera in upcoming film Son of a Preacher Man about the life and times of Grammy winning singer-songwriter-producer PJ Morton.

Besides Rahman, other cast includes American Gospel musician Kirk Franklin (Norbit), Grammy nominated American Idol Winner Ruben Studdard (Life on a Stick), and producer Warryn Campbell (Stomp the Yard). Shot in Atlanta and New Orleans in USA and London in United Kingdom, it will be released in 2010. Michael Akwesi Djaba (Reasonable Excuse) is the director.

Rahman and Morton collaborated on Sajna song in recent Hollywood comedy Couples Retreat.

Acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, commended multi-talented and innovative Rahman for bringing East and West closer through music and for making the world look at Indian film music more seriously.

Diversity of his styles and themes was appealing to different sections of the society, Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, added.

Rahman, who has reportedly recorded sales of over 300 million, was called Mozart of Madras by a magazine. Rahman sees music "as a way to connect to spirituality and embrace it" and for "creating harmony in troubled times".