Allah Rakha Rahman born 6 January 1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer. His film scoring career began in the early 1990s. He has won thirteen Filmfare Awards, four National Film Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, two Grammy Awards, and two Academy Awards
Working in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, by 2004, Rahman, in a career spanning over a decade, had sold more than 150 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide and sold over 200 million cassettes, making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists.
Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal (Tamil, English: Music Storm). In 2009, the magazine placed Rahman in the Time 100 list of 'World's Most Influential People'
CareerWorking in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, by 2004, Rahman, in a career spanning over a decade, had sold more than 150 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide and sold over 200 million cassettes, making him one of the world's all-time top selling recording artists.
Time magazine has referred to him as the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have coined him the nickname Isai Puyal (Tamil, English: Music Storm). In 2009, the magazine placed Rahman in the Time 100 list of 'World's Most Influential People'
Early life and influences
A. R. Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India to a musically affluent Mudaliar Ta
mil family.His father R. K. Shekhar, was a Chennai based composer and conductor for Malayalam films. Rahman lost his father at a young age and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income. He was raised by his mother Kareema (Kashturi).He then converted to Islam at the age of 8 and changed his name to Rahman. During these formative years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots", with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja. Rahman is the founder of the Chennai-based rock group, "Nemesis Avenue".He played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer, in particular increased because, he says, it was the “ideal combination of music and technology".He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja,one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan Ramesh Naidu and Raj Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.
mil family.His father R. K. Shekhar, was a Chennai based composer and conductor for Malayalam films. Rahman lost his father at a young age and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income. He was raised by his mother Kareema (Kashturi).He then converted to Islam at the age of 8 and changed his name to Rahman. During these formative years, Rahman served as a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots", with childhood friend and percussionist Sivamani, John Anthony, Suresh Peters, JoJo and Raja. Rahman is the founder of the Chennai-based rock group, "Nemesis Avenue".He played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer, in particular increased because, he says, it was the “ideal combination of music and technology".He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Ilaiyaraaja,one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M. S. Viswanathan Ramesh Naidu and Raj Koti, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L. Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to the Trinity College of Music where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.Film scoring and soundtracks
In 1992, Rahman began his own music recording 
and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house called the Panchathan Record Inn, which was developed into India's most advanced recording studio.He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores in documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja.The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a first-time film composer. Rahman has since then gone on to win the award three more times (for his scores for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.
and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house called the Panchathan Record Inn, which was developed into India's most advanced recording studio.He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores in documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil film Roja.The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a first-time film composer. Rahman has since then gone on to win the award three more times (for his scores for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim, in its original and dubbed versions, bringing about a marked change in film music at the time, and Rahman followed this with successful scores for Tamil–language films of the Chennai film industry including Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, the urbanite Kadhalan, Bharathiraaja's Karuththamma, the saxophonic Duet, Indira, and the romantic comedies Mr. Romeo and Love Birds, which gained him considerable notice. His fanbase in Japan increased with Muthu 's success there.[18] His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil Nadu film industry and across the world for his stylistic versatality in his pieces including in Western classical, Carnatic, Tamil traditional/folk, jazz, reggae and rock music.The Bombay Theme—from Ratnam's Bombay—would later reappear in Deepa Mehta's Fire and various compilations and media. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut for Hindi-language films made in the Mumbai film industry. Many successful scores for films including Dil Se and the percussive Taal followed.Sufi mysticism would form the basis of Chaiyya Chaiyya from the former and the composition "Zikr" from his score of the film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: Th
e Forgotten Hero for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements. Musical cues in scores for Sangamam and Iruvar employed Carnatic vocals and instruments such as the veena with leads of rock guitar and jazz.In the 2000s Rahman created hit scores for Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain, Alaipayuthey, Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades and Rang De Basanti.He composed songs with Hindustani motifs for Water (2005).
e Forgotten Hero for which he created large orchestral and choral arrangements. Musical cues in scores for Sangamam and Iruvar employed Carnatic vocals and instruments such as the veena with leads of rock guitar and jazz.In the 2000s Rahman created hit scores for Rajiv Menon's Kandukondain Kandukondain, Alaipayuthey, Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades and Rang De Basanti.He composed songs with Hindustani motifs for Water (2005).Rahman has worked with Indian poets and lyricists such as Javed Akhtar, Gulzar,Anand Bakshi,P.K.Mishra, Mehboob, Vairamuthu and Vaali. His collaborations with some film directors have always resulted in successful soundtracks, particularly with the director Mani Ratnam who he has worked with since Roja, all of which have been hits, and the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys and Sivaji.[26]
Rahman attached and opened a developed extension studio to his Panchathan Record Inn in 2005 called AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai — considered to be the most developed, equipped and high tech studio in Asia. In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music. Its first release was his score to the film Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. Rahman scored the Mandarin language picture Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 after researching and utilizing Chinese and Japanese classical music, and co-scored the Shekhar Kapoor helmed Elizabeth: The Golden Age in 2007. His compositions have been reused in scores within India and have made appearances in Inside Man, Lord of War, Divine Intervention and The Accidental Husband. In 2008, he scored the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, for which he won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards, becoming the first Indian citizen to do so. In the United States, the soundtrack topped the Dance/Electronic Albums chart and reached on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "Jai Ho" reached on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles and on the US Billboard Hot 100.
National Film Awards (India)
1993 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Roja
1997 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Minsaara Kanavu
2002 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Lagaan
2003 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Kannathil Muthamittal
Filmfare Awards South (India)
1993 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Roja
1994 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Gentleman
1995 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Kadhalan
1996 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Bombay
1997 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Kadhal Desam
1998 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Minsaara Kanavu
1999 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Jeans
2000 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Mudhalvan
2001 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Alaipayuthey
2006 - Filmfare Best Music Direction - Sillunu Oru KadhalFilmfare Awards (India)
1995 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Rangeela
1998 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Dil Se
1999 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Taal
2001 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Lagaan
2002 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Saathiya
2002 - Filmfare Best Background Score - The Legend of Bhagat Singh
2004 - Filmfare Best Background Score - Swades
2006 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Rang de Basanti
He also won a "Filmfare R D Burman Music Debutant Award" for Roja's dubbed Hindi version.
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
1993 - Best Music - Roja
1994 - Best Music - Gentleman
1995 - Best Music - Kadhalan
1996 - Best Music - Bombay
1997 - Best Music - Minsaara Kanavu
2000 - Best Music - Sangamam
Zee Cine Awards (India)
2000 - ** 2002 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Lagaan
2006 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Rang De Basanti
GIFA Awards (Malaysia)
2006 - GIFA Award for Best Music - Rang De Basanti
2006 - GIFA Award for Best Background Music - Rang De Basanti
IIFA Awards (India)
2007 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Rang De Basanti
2002 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Lagaan
2003 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Saathiya
2000 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Taal
Star Screen Awards
2002 - Best Background Music
2007 - Best Music Direction - Guru
Swaralaya Yesudas Award (India)
2006 - Swaralaya-Kairali- Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music field
2000 - Padma Shri (India)
Screen-Videocon Awards
Kadhal Desam (South - Tamil; 1997)
Minsara Kanavu (South - Tamil; 1998)
Vande Mataram (Non-film; 1998) Taal (Hindi; 2000)
Other Awards was nominated for Laurence Olivier Theatre Award (2003) (The Hilton Award) for "Best New Musical of 2002" - Bombay Dreams Musical
Sangeet Awards 2005 Best Music Director (Film music - Swades)
The Mahavir-Mahatma Award (Instituted by the Oneness Forum)
National Lata Mangeshkar awards for 2004-05 ( The awards instituted by Madhya Pradesh government )
Sangeet Awards 2004 Best Music Director (Film music - Yuva)
Best music arranger (Critics award) for 'Yeh Rishta' - Meenakshi 2004
American India Awards R D Burman Award at the SuMu Music Awards (1993) Madras
Telugu Academy Puraskar (1992 to 1994)
Bommai Nagi Reddy Award (1995/96)
Lux-Kumudam Award for Kadhalan (1995)
Mauritius National Award (1995; for contribution to music)
Malaysian Award (1996; for contribution to music)
Sanskriti Award from Delhi based Sanskriti foundation (1994)
Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu Government (1995)
Thangapillai Award Rajiv Gandhi Award 3rd Channel [V] Awards - Coca Cola Viewer's Choice Award 1998 The Channel [V]-IMI Award for Best Producer for Vandemataram 1998 Fanta Award in 1999 Stardust Cine Honours Taal (2000) Filmgoers's Award Taal (2000) First Bollywood Music Awards (Best Music Director and Best Song)
Taal (2000) V Shantaram Award: Taal (2001),
Best Music(Guru)2006- 2007 Bollywood
US Awards (2003) Best Music Director : Saathiya 8th Annual Planet-Bollywood Awards (People's Choice Awards! - Best of 2002) Best Music Direction : Saathiya, The Legend of Bhagat Singh Star Screen Award - Best Background Score - Rang De Basanti
Dinakaran Cine Awards Minsara Kanavu (1998) Jeans (1999) Mudalvan, Kadhalar Dhinam (2000)
MTV Awards MTV-VMA Award for Dil Se Re song from Dil Se.. 1999 MTV Asia Awards 2003 for Favourite Artist India MTV IMMIES 2003 - Best Music Composer - 'Saathiya' - Saathiya ( Hindi )
A. R. Rahman has been nominated for the following awards:
Laurence Olivier Awards (UK)
Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical - Bombay Dreams 2003
Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Canada)
General Theatre Division - Outstanding Musical Direction - The Lord of the Rings musical 2006
