Allah Rakha Rahman born January 6, 1967 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India as A. S. Dileep Kumar) is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer. His work has garnered considerable acclaim and a large global fan base since his film scoring career began in the early 1990s. He has won four National Film Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards. He is the first Indian to win two Oscars.Working in India's various film industries, international cinema and theatre, by 2003, Rahman, in a career spanning over a decade, has sold more than 100 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.....
Early life and influencesA. R. Rahman was born in a musically affluent Tamil 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. 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".[7] 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 and Ramesh Naidu, 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.
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.
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.[ 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. 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. 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: The 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 Gulzar, 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.
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.[2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music.[ 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 have made appearances in Inside Man, Lord of War 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.
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from film. He made an album Vande Mataram (1997) on India's 50th anniversary of independence to commercial success. He followed it up with an album for the Bharat Bala–directed video Jana Gana Mana, a conglomeration of performances by many leading exponents/artists of Indian classical music. Rahman has written jingles for ads and composed several orchestrations for athletic events, T.V. and internet media publications, documentaries and short films.
In 1999 Rahman, along with choreographers Shobhana and Prabhu Deva Sundaram and a Tamil cinema dancing troupe performed with Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany, for his "Michael Jackson and Friends Concert." In 2002, he composed his maiden stage production Bombay Dreams (2002) following a commission from musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, a success in London's West End. With Finnish folk music band Värttinä, he wrote the music for The Lord of the Rings theatre production and in 2004, Rahman composed the piece "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa-Mae's album Choreography.
In the last six years, Rahman has performed three successful world tours of his concerts to audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, UK, Canada, the US (Hollywood Bowl and 3d tour) and India.He has been collaborating with Karen David for her upcoming studio album. A two-disc soundtrack, Introducing A. R. Rahman (2006) featuring 25 pieces he composed from his Tamil film scores was released in May 2006. His non-film album, Connections was launched on 12th December, 2008.
His interest and outlook in music stems from his love of experimentation. Rahman's compositions, in the vein of past and contemporary Chennai film composers, bring out auteuristic uses of counterpoint, orchestration and the human voice, evolving Indian pop music with unique timbres, forms and instrumentation. By virtue of these qualities, broad ranging lyrics and his syncretic style, his themes appeal to several sections of Indian society.
His first soundtrack for Roja was listed in TIME's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time in 2005. Film critic Richard Corliss felt the "astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman."Rahman's initial global reach is attributed to the South Asian diaspora. Described as one of the most innovative composers to ever work in the industry, his unique style and immense success transformed film music in the 1990s prompting several film producers to take film music more seriously.The music producer Ron Fair considers Rahman to be "one of the world's great living composers in any medium".
The director Baz Luhrmann notes
"I had come to the music of A. R. Rahman through the emotional and haunting score of Bombay and the wit and celebration of Lagaan. But the more of AR's music I encountered the more I was to be amazed at the sheer diversity of styles: from swinging brass bands to triumphant anthems; from joyous pop to West-End musicals. Whatever the style, A. R. Rahman's music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit, qualities that inspire me the most.
As music director
Career
Film scoring and soundtracksIn 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.
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.[ 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. 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. 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: The 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 Gulzar, 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.
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.[2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music.[ 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 have made appearances in Inside Man, Lord of War 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.
Other works
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from film. He made an album Vande Mataram (1997) on India's 50th anniversary of independence to commercial success. He followed it up with an album for the Bharat Bala–directed video Jana Gana Mana, a conglomeration of performances by many leading exponents/artists of Indian classical music. Rahman has written jingles for ads and composed several orchestrations for athletic events, T.V. and internet media publications, documentaries and short films.
In 1999 Rahman, along with choreographers Shobhana and Prabhu Deva Sundaram and a Tamil cinema dancing troupe performed with Michael Jackson in Munich, Germany, for his "Michael Jackson and Friends Concert." In 2002, he composed his maiden stage production Bombay Dreams (2002) following a commission from musical theatre composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, a success in London's West End. With Finnish folk music band Värttinä, he wrote the music for The Lord of the Rings theatre production and in 2004, Rahman composed the piece "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa-Mae's album Choreography.
In the last six years, Rahman has performed three successful world tours of his concerts to audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, UK, Canada, the US (Hollywood Bowl and 3d tour) and India.He has been collaborating with Karen David for her upcoming studio album. A two-disc soundtrack, Introducing A. R. Rahman (2006) featuring 25 pieces he composed from his Tamil film scores was released in May 2006. His non-film album, Connections was launched on 12th December, 2008.
Music style and impact
Skilled in Carnatic music,[28] Western classical, Hindustani music and the Qawwali style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahman has been noted to write film songs that amalgamate elements of these music systems and other genres, layering instruments from differing music idioms in an improvisatory manner.Symphonic orchestral themes have accompanied his scores, where he has employed leitmotif. In the 1980s, Rahman recorded and played arrangements on mono, synonymous with the era of predecessors such as K. V. Mahadevan and Vishwanathan–Ramamoorthy, but later his methodology changed. Rahman worked and experimented on fusing traditional instruments with new electronic sounds and technology.His interest and outlook in music stems from his love of experimentation. Rahman's compositions, in the vein of past and contemporary Chennai film composers, bring out auteuristic uses of counterpoint, orchestration and the human voice, evolving Indian pop music with unique timbres, forms and instrumentation. By virtue of these qualities, broad ranging lyrics and his syncretic style, his themes appeal to several sections of Indian society.
His first soundtrack for Roja was listed in TIME's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time in 2005. Film critic Richard Corliss felt the "astonishing debut work parades Rahman's gift for alchemizing outside influences until they are totally Tamil, totally Rahman."Rahman's initial global reach is attributed to the South Asian diaspora. Described as one of the most innovative composers to ever work in the industry, his unique style and immense success transformed film music in the 1990s prompting several film producers to take film music more seriously.The music producer Ron Fair considers Rahman to be "one of the world's great living composers in any medium".
The director Baz Luhrmann notes
"I had come to the music of A. R. Rahman through the emotional and haunting score of Bombay and the wit and celebration of Lagaan. But the more of AR's music I encountered the more I was to be amazed at the sheer diversity of styles: from swinging brass bands to triumphant anthems; from joyous pop to West-End musicals. Whatever the style, A. R. Rahman's music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit, qualities that inspire me the most.
Awards
A R Rahman is the 1995 recipient of the Mauritius National Award and the Malaysian Award for contributions to music. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for his first West-End production. A four-time National Film Award winner and conferred the Padma Shri from the Government of India, Rahman has also received six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, thirteen Filmfare Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards South for his music and scores. In 2006, he received an honorary award from Stanford University for contributions to global music. In 2009, for his score of Slumdog Millionaire, Rahman won the Critics' Choice Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song at the 2009 Oscars.As music director
| Year | Film | Notes |
| 1992 | Roja | Winner, National Film Award for Best Music Direction |
| Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director | ||
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| Listed in TIME's "10 Best Soundtracks" of all time in 2005 [30] | ||
| Yodha | ||
| 1993 | Pudhiya Mugam | |
| Gentleman | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director | |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| Kizhakku Cheemayile | ||
| Uzhavan | ||
| Thiruda Thiruda | ||
| 1994 | Vandicholai Chinraasu | |
| Super Police | ||
| Duet | ||
| May Madham | ||
| Kadhalan | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director | |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| Pavithra | ||
| Karuththamma | ||
| Pudhiya Mannargal | ||
| Manitha Manitha | ||
| Gangmaster | ||
| 1995 | Bombay | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| Indira | ||
| Rangeela | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | |
| Muthu | Most successful Indian soundtrack in Japan [13] | |
| 1996 | Love Birds | |
| Indian | ||
| Kadhal Desam | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | |
| Fire | ||
| Mr. Romeo | ||
| 1997 | Anthimanthaarai | |
| Minsara Kanavu | Winner, National Film Award for Best Music Direction | |
| Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director | ||
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| Iruvar | ||
| Daud: Fun On The Run | ||
| Ratchagan | ||
| Mona Lisa | ||
| Vishwavidhaata | ||
| Kabhi Na Kabhi | ||
| 1998 | Jeans | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) |
| Dil Se… | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | |
| "Chaiyya Chaiyya" was 9th in BBC World Service top 10 songs of all time [38] | ||
| Earth | ||
| Doli Saja Ke Rakhna | ||
| 1999 | En Swasa Kaatre | |
| Padayappa | ||
| Kadhalar Dhinam | ||
| Taal | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | |
| Sangamam | Winner, Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director | |
| Jodi | ||
| Takshak | ||
| Mudhalvan | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | |
| Taj Mahal | ||
| 2000 | Pukar | |
| Alaipayuthey | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | |
| Kandukondain Kandukondain | ||
| Fiza | 1 song | |
| Rhythm | ||
| Thenali | ||
| Zubeidaa | ||
| 2001 | One 2 Ka 4 | |
| Nayak: The Real Hero | ||
| Love You Hamesha | ||
| Lagaan | Winner, National Film Award for Best Music Direction | |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | ||
| Star | ||
| Parthale Paravasam | ||
| 2002 | Alli Arjuna | |
| Kannathil Muthamittal | Winner, National Film Award for Best Music Direction | |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | ||
| The Legend of Bhagat Singh | Winner, Filmfare Best Background Score Award | |
| Baba | ||
| Kadhal Virus | ||
| Saathiya | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | |
| 2003 | Parasuram | |
| Boys | ||
| Warriors of Heaven and Earth | Theme song is in three languages: Mandarin, Hindi and English | |
| Enakku 20 Unakku 18 | ||
| Kangalal Kaithu Sei | ||
| Tehzeeb | ||
| 2004 | Udhaya | |
| Warriors of Heaven and Earth | ||
| Lakeer - Forbidden Lines | ||
| Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities | ||
| Aayitha Ezhuthu | ||
| Yuva | ||
| New | ||
| Naani | ||
| Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa | 3 songs | |
| Swades | Winner, Filmfare Best Background Score Award | |
| Kisna - The Warrior Poet | 2 song | |
| 2005 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero | |
| Mangal Pandey - The Rising | ||
| Anbe Aaruyire | ||
| Water | 5 songs | |
| 1 song longlisted for 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination | ||
| 2006 | Rang De Basanti | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award |
| 2 songs longlisted for 2007 Academy Award for Best Original Song nomination [39] | ||
| Sillunu Oru Kaadhal | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | |
| Varalaru | ||
| 2007 | Guru | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award |
| Winner, Filmfare Best Background Score Award | ||
| Provoked | ||
| Sivaji: The Boss | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award (Tamil) | |
| Azhagiya Thamizh Magan | ||
| Elizabeth: The Golden Age | With Craig Armstrong | |
| 2008 | Jodhaa Akbar | Winner, Filmfare Best Background Score |
| Nominated, Asian Film Award for Best Composer [40] | ||
| Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na | Winner, Filmfare Best Music Director Award | |
| ADA: A Way of Life | ||
| Sakkarakatti | ||
| Yuvvraaj | ||
| Ghajini | ||
| Slumdog Millionaire | Winner, Academy Award for Best Original Music Score | |
| Winner, Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Jai Ho" | ||
| Winner, BAFTA Award for Best Film Music | ||
| Winner, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score | ||
| 2009 | Delhi 6 | |
| Nair San | Filming | |
| Blue | Filming | |
| Puli | Filming | |
| Ashokavanam | Filming | |
| Raavan | Filming | |
| Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam | Filming | |
| Manavar Dhinam | Filming | |
| Sultan The Warrior | Filming | |
| Vinnaithaandi Varuvaaya | Filming | |
| 2010 | Endhiran | Filming |
| The 19th Step | Filming |
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