Allahrakha Rahman
Allahrakha Rahman (Born A. S. Dileep Kumar on 6 January 1967) known professionally as A. R. Rahman, is an Indian film composer, record producer, singer, and songwriter who works predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films
Rahman was born in Madras, Tamil Nadu on 6 January 1967.His father, R. K. Shekhar was a film-score composer and conductor for Tamil and Malayalam films. Rahman began studying piano at age four.He assisted his father in the studio, playing the keyboard.
Rahman began his early musical training under Master Dhanraj,and at age 11 began playing in the orchestra of Malayalam composer M. K. Arjunan.He soon began working with other composers, such as M. S. Viswanathan, Vijaya Bhaskar,Ilaiyaraaja, Ramesh Naidu, Vijay Anand, Hamsalekha and Raj-Koti,accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship from Trinity College London to the Trinity College of Music.
Studying in Madras, Rahman graduated with a diploma in Western classical music from the school.Rahman was introduced to Qadiri tariqa when his younger sister was seriously ill in 1984. His mother was a practising Hindu. At the age of 23, he converted to Islam with other members of his family in 1989, changing his name to Allahrakha Rahman (A. R. Rahman)
Rahman is married to Saira Banu (not to be confused with actress Saira Banu); they have three children: Khatija, Rahima and Ameen. Ameen has sung “NaNa” from Couples Retreat, and Khatija has sung “Pudhiya Manidha” from Enthiran. Rahman is the uncle of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar, the son of his elder sister A. R. Reihana.Rahman’s younger sister, Fathima, heads his music conservatory in Chennai.The youngest, Ishrath, has a music studio. A.R.Rahman is the co-brother of film actor Rahman.
Rahman initially composed scores for different documentaries and jingles for advertisements and Indian television channels. With his in-house studio Panchathan Record Inn, Rahman’s film-scoring career began during the early 1990s with the Tamil film Roja
Rahman has also become a humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising money for a number of causes and charities. In 2006, he was honoured by Stanford University for his contributions to global music.In 2008, he received Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rotary Club of Madras.In 2009, he was included on the Time list of the world’s 100 most influential people.In 2013, he introduced 7.1 surround sound technology to South Indian films. In 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. He has also received honorary doctorate from Aligarh Muslim University. In 2017, he made his debut as a director and writer for the film Le Musk.
Awards:
A six-time National Film Award winner and recipient of six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, he has fifteen Filmfare Awards and sixteen Filmfare Awards South for his music. Rahman has received a Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu for excellence in the field of music.
In 2006, he received an award from Stanford University for his contributions to global music. In 2009, for his Slumdog Millionaire score, Rahman won the Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song, the latter shared with Gulzar) at the 81st Academy Awards.
He has received honorary doctorates from Middlesex University, Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University in Chennai and Miami University in Ohio.The composer has won two Grammy Awards: Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media.Rahman received the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour, in 2010.
His work in 127 Hours won him Golden Globe, BAFTA, and two Academy Award nominations (Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song) in 2011. Rahman is an Honorary Fellow of the Trinity College of Music.
On 24 October 2014 Rahman was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music during a concert paying tribute to his music featuring an international cast of students. A street was named in his honour in Markham, Ontario, Canada in November 2013.
The UK-based world-music magazine Songlines named him one of “Tomorrow’s World Music Icons” in August 2011.For years, he has been regularly listed one among The 500 Most Influential Muslims in the world.
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