A.R. Rahman, the Indian composer whose extensive body of work for film and stage earned him the nickname "the Mozart of Madras", celebrates his 57th birthday today. Rahman, who has won numerous awards and accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award, is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile music composers of his generation.
Rahman was born as A.S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on 6 January 1967. His father, R.K. Sekhar, was a prominent Tamil musician who composed scores for the Malayalam film industry. Rahman began studying piano at age four and developed a passion for electronics and computers. He dropped out of school, but his professional experience led to a scholarship to study at Trinity College, Oxford, where he received a degree in Western classical music
In 1988, his family converted to Islam following a sister's recovery from a serious illness, and he then took the name Allah Rakha Rahman. He grew bored with playing in bands and eventually turned his talents toward creating advertising jingles. He wrote more than 300 jingles and would later say that the experience taught him discipline because jingle writing required delivery of a powerful message or mood in a short time
In 1991, he met Bollywood film director Mani Ratnam, who persuaded him to write music for motion pictures. Their first project was Roja (1992), which resulted in Rahman's first film soundtrack hit. More than 100 movie scores followed, including the music for Lagaan (2001), the first Bollywood film nominated for an Academy Award
Rahman's international breakthrough came with his score for Slumdog Millionaire (2008), a British-Indian film directed by Danny Boyle. The film's soundtrack, which featured a fusion of Indian and Western musical styles, won him two Oscars, two Grammys, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA. The song "Jai Ho", co-written by Rahman and lyricist Gulzar, became a global anthem and was later covered by various artists, including the Pussycat Dolls
Rahman has also composed music for other international projects, such as the stage musical Bombay Dreams (2002), produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber; the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2003); the British film 127 Hours (2010), also directed by Boyle; and the Hollywood film The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014), produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey
Rahman has also been involved in various humanitarian and philanthropic causes, such as supporting education, health, and disaster relief. In 2006, he was honoured by Stanford University for his contributions to global music. In 2008, he received the 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 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music
Rahman continues to experiment with new musical genres and collaborate with artists from different backgrounds and cultures. He has also ventured into directing and writing, with his debut film Le Musk (2017), a virtual reality musical thriller. He is currently working on several projects, including the musical adaptation of the film Monsoon Wedding and the biopic of Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose
As he celebrates his birthday, Rahman can look back at his remarkable journey from a humble piano player to a global musical icon. His fans and admirers can look forward to more of his musical magic in the years to come.