AR Rahman is an Indian musician, singer, songwriter, music producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and philanthropist. As Mozart of Madras turns 55 today. AR Rahman was born AS Dilip Kumar on 6 January 1967 in Madras, Tamil Nadu to musician RK Shekhar and Karima Begum (born as Kashturi). Rahman began learning piano at the age of four and assisted his father in the studio.
When Rahman was nine years old, his father died. Rahman, who was then studying at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, started working to support his family. In addition, the family rented out their father’s musical instruments to earn a living.
Since Rahman was working hard to fulfill his needs, he failed the exam. Principal of the school called his mother and asked her to take him to the streets of Kodambakkam to beg and not send her to school anymore.
After this incident, Rahman attended MCN and then Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School for a year. However, Rahman dropped out of school with his mother’s permission to pursue a career in music.
He later received a scholarship from Trinity College London to Trinity College of Music and graduated with a diploma in Western Classical Music from the School of Music, Madras.
Rahman is a practicing Muslim who converted to Hinduism in his 20s with his family and changed his name from AS Dilip Kumar to Allah Rakha Rahman (AR Rahman).
AR Rahman wife and children
AR Rahman married Saira Banu in 1995 and the couple gave birth to three children – Khatija Rehman (Daughter), Rahima Rehman (Daughter), and AR Rahman (Daughter). Amin (son).
The family went through a difficult period after the untimely death of the father. AR Rahman, a practicing Hindu, converted to Islam in his 20s along with his family. Sufism attracted the family and before the release of Rahman’s first major project, Roja, the family converted to Islam. His mother Karima Begum also insisted on changing Rahman’s name in the film’s credits at the last minute and was very particular about it.
AR Rahman Music Career
At the age of nine, AR Rahman accidentally played a tune on the piano while he was in the studio with his father, later known as R.K. Shekhar in a complete song.
Initially, Rahman was trained under Master Dhanraj, and at the age of 11, he completed M.K. Arjunan who was a Malayalam musician and a close friend of his father. Soon after, he completed M.S. Viswanathan, Vijaya Bhaskar, Ilaiyaraaja, Ramesh Naidu, Vijay Anand, Humsalekha and Raj-Koti.
Initially, AR Rahman composed scores for documentaries and jingles for TV commercials and got the much-anticipated break in 1992 when director Mani Ratnam approached him to compose the score and soundtrack for Roja, a Tamil film. He was later signed by cinematographer Santosh Sivan for a Malayalam film Yoddha.
His soundtrack album for Chennai Production’s Minasara Kanavu won his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction and a South Filmfare Award for Best Music Direction in a Tamil Film in 1997. He has won six South Filmfare Awards for Best Music Direction.
He continued to work with Indian poets and lyricists such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar, Vairamuthu and Wali and directed directors Mani Ratnam and S. Composed commercially successful soundtracks with Shankar.
In 2005, AR Rahman expanded his Panchathan Records Inn Studio, a recording and mixing studio he had started in his backyard in 1992. In 2006, he launched his own music label, KM Music.
He scored for the Mandarin language film Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 and co-starred with Shekhar Kapur for the British film Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007.
His first Hollywood film score was for the 2009 comedy, Couples Retreat. He won the BMI London Award for Best Score. The turning point in his life came when he composed the music, winning two Oscars for the 2008 British film Slumdog Millionaire. The songs “Jai Ho” and “O… Saaya” from its soundtrack were an international hit.
By the end of 2012, Rahman’s music for Mani Ratnam’s Kadal topped the iTunes India chart for December.
His background scores are a combination of subtle orchestration and ambient sounds. Some of the films which fetched him an appreciation for background scores include Roja, Bombay, Iruvar, Minsara Kanavu, Dil Se.., Taal, Lagaan, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Bose: The Forgotten Hero, Guru, Jodhaa Akbar, Raavanan, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Rockstar, Enthiran, Kadal and Kochadaiiyaan.
A. R. Rahman received two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire and two Academy Award nominations for 127 Hours. In 2018, Rahman received his third National Award for the background score of Mom.