A.R. Rahman
Personal details
  • Official sites :

    http://www.arrahman.com

  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1967-01-06
    • Born Place: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Also Known As:

    Allah Rakha Rahman, A. S. Dileep Kumar, Mozart of Madras, Isai Puyal, AR Rahman, ए आर रहमान, A.R. Rehman, A. R. Rehman, ஏ. ஆர். ரகுமான், A. R. Rahman

A.R. Rahman

Allah Rakha Rahman, originally born as A.S. Dileep Kumar on January 6, 1967, in Chennai, is a globally celebrated Indian composer, singer-songwriter, and music producer whose groundbreaking work earned him the nickname "The Mozart of Madras." Hailing from a musically inclined family—his father, R.K. Shekhar, was a film-score composer—Rahman began learning the piano at age four. After his father's untimely death, he started working as a professional musician to support his family, eventually earning a scholarship to the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London where he graduated with a diploma in Western classical music. In his early twenties, a profound spiritual journey led him and his family to embrace Sufi Islam, and he adopted his current name. His career exploded in 1992 with his sensational debut in the Tamil film Roja, directed by Mani Ratnam. The soundtrack was a phenomenon, earning him the National Film Award for Best Music Direction and pioneering a unique sound that blended Indian classical and folk music with modern electronic, world music, and orchestral arrangements. Rahman quickly became a national musical icon with blockbuster soundtracks for films like Bombay, Dil Se..., Taal, Lagaan, and Rang De Basanti. His work achieved global recognition in 2009 with the film Slumdog Millionaire, for which he became the first Indian to win two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song for "Jai Ho") on the same night. He has also received two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, six National Film Awards, and the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India in 2010. Beyond cinema, Rahman founded the KM Music Conservatory to nurture musical talent and continues to produce music for international projects, cementing his legacy as one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the world.

Person History