A. R. Rahman

A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
	A. R. Rahman in 2019
Born	A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967; Madras, Madras State, India
Other names	Isai Puyal; Mozart of Madras;
Alma mater	Trinity Laban
Occupations	Record producer; composer; playback singer; songwriter;
Organization(s)	AR Rahman Foundation; KM Music Conservatory
Works	Discography; Filmography;
Office	Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios
Spouse	Saira Banu (m. 1995; sep. 2024)
Children	3, including Khatija and Ameen
Father	R. K. Shekhar
Relatives	A. R. Reihana (sister)
Family	R. K. Shekhar family
Awards	Full list
Honours	Padma Shri (2000); Padma Bhushan (2010)
	Musical career
Genres	Filmi; Indian classical; world music;
Instruments	Vocals; keyboards; piano; harmonium; percussions; drums; guitar; accordion; harp; synthesizer;
Years active	1992–present
Labels	KM Musiq; Sony Music India; Tips Music; T-Series; YRF Music; Sony DADC; Aditya Music; Lahari Music; Universal Music; Eros Music;
Website	arrahman.com
Honorary President of Trinity Laban
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; December 2024
Signature

Allah Rakha Rahman (pronunciation^ⓘ; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist^[1] known for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in international cinema. He is a recipient of six National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, fifteen Filmfare Awards, and eighteen Filmfare Awards South.^[2] In 2010, the Government of India conferred him with the Padma Bhushan, the nation's third-highest civilian award.^[3]

With his in-house studio Panchathan Record Inn, Rahman's film-scoring career began during the early 1990s with the Tamil film Roja.^[4] Following that, he went on to score several songs for Tamil language films, including Mani Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, the urban Kaadhalan, Thiruda Thiruda, and S. Shankar's debut film Gentleman. Rahman's score for his first Hollywood film, the comedy Couples Retreat (2009), won the BMI Award for Best Score. His music for Slumdog Millionaire (2008) earned him Best Original Score and Best Original Song (for Jai Ho) at the 81st Academy Awards. He was also awarded Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and Best Song Written for Visual Media at the 2010 Grammy Awards. He is nicknamed "Isai Puyal" (transl. Musical Storm) and "Mozart of Madras".^[5]

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.^[6] In 2008, he received Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rotary Club of Madras.^[7] In 2009, he was included on the Time list of the world's 100 most influential people.^[8] In 2014, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. He has also received honorary doctorate from Aligarh Muslim University.^[9] In 2017, he made his debut as a director and writer for the film Le Musk.^[10] In 2024, Rahman was named Honorary President of Trinity Laban.^[11]^[12]

^ "A. R. Rahmam Biography". arrahman.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
^ Ramakrishna, S. R (11 December 2018). "Interview: AR Rahman reveals composing secrets". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
^ "AR Rahman Feels 'Happy and Honoured' with Padma Bhushan Win". Daily News and Analysis. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa; Menon, Vishal (14 August 2017). "Revisiting 'Roja', 25 years later". The Hindu.
^ Corliss, Richard (25 April 2004). "The Mozart of Madras". Time. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
^ Cite error: The named reference arstan06 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "A R Rahman Honored". IndiaGlitz. 4 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
^ "The 2009 Time 100 – A.R. Rahman". Time. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.
^ "Rahman to be conferred honorary doctorate by AMU". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
^ Duttagupta, Ishani (14 May 2017). "How virtual reality pushed AR Rahman towards 'multi-sensory' filmmaking". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
^ Ramachandran, Naman (11 December 2024). "A.R. Rahman Named as Honorary President of London's Trinity Laban Conservatoire (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
^ "Globally Acclaimed Composer A. R. Rahman Appointed Honorary President of Trinity Laban". Trinity Laban. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.

[:2-1] "A. R. Rahmam Biography". arrahman.com. Retrieved 14 April 2023.

[deccanherald.com-2] Ramakrishna, S. R (11 December 2018). "Interview: AR Rahman reveals composing secrets". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 27 November 2024.

[3] "AR Rahman Feels 'Happy and Honoured' with Padma Bhushan Win". Daily News and Analysis. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2016.

[4] Ramanujam, Srinivasa; Menon, Vishal (14 August 2017). "Revisiting 'Roja', 25 years later". The Hindu.

[5] Corliss, Richard (25 April 2004). "The Mozart of Madras". Time. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.

[arstan06-6] Cite error: The named reference arstan06 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[A_R_Rahman_Honored-7] "A R Rahman Honored". IndiaGlitz. 4 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 June 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2011.

[8] "The 2009 Time 100 – A.R. Rahman". Time. 30 April 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2011.

[The_Hindu-9] "Rahman to be conferred honorary doctorate by AMU". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 26 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2009.

[10] Duttagupta, Ishani (14 May 2017). "How virtual reality pushed AR Rahman towards 'multi-sensory' filmmaking". The Economic Times. Retrieved 13 July 2017.

[11] Ramachandran, Naman (11 December 2024). "A.R. Rahman Named as Honorary President of London's Trinity Laban Conservatoire (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2025.

[12] "Globally Acclaimed Composer A. R. Rahman Appointed Honorary President of Trinity Laban". Trinity Laban. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2025.

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