The film Slumdog Millionaire is a frenetic portrait of Mumbai, a gritty fairytale of beating the odds and standing firm in the face of adversity, and propelling it forward is the pulsating score by A.R. Rahman. In the wake of the recent tragedy in Mumbai, the film -- and its soundtrack -- becomes even more visceral than the ebullient depiction of the Indian city.

To be honest, I had just started to write something about the soundtrack last week when the news of the terrorist attack came, and I…