A. R. Rahman is an Indian composer, record producer, singer, and musician, widely recognised for his work in Indian film music, particularly in Tamil and Hindi cinema. Known for blending Carnatic music, Indian classical traditions, Sufi influences, and Western orchestral and electronic styles, he has had a defining influence on film soundtracks in India since the early 1990s. Internationally, he is best known for the score and songs of Slumdog Millionaire (2008), for which he received two Academy Awards.
| Born | A. S. Dileep Kumar, 6 January 1967, Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu |
|---|---|
| Other names | Allah Rakha Rahman; A. R. Rahman |
| Father | R. K. Shekhar, Malayalam film composer and conductor |
| Occupation | Composer, music producer, singer, instrumentalist |
| Instruments | Keyboards, piano, synthesizer, harmonium |
| Languages of work | Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, English, among others |
| Debut film score | Roja (1992), directed by Mani Ratnam |
| Studio | KM Musiq / Panchathan Record Inn, Chennai |
| Notable awards | 2 Academy Awards, 2 Grammy Awards, Padma Bhushan (2010), Padma Shri (2000), 6 National Film Awards |
Rahman was born into a Tamil-speaking family in Madras. His father, R. K. Shekhar, worked as a composer and arranger in the Malayalam film industry. Following his father's death when Rahman was young, the family faced financial hardship, and Rahman began working as a session keyboard player while still a child, accompanying composers such as Ilaiyaraaja, M. S. Viswanathan, and Raj-Koti.
He studied Western classical music at Trinity College of Music, London, on a scholarship, where he obtained a degree in Western classical music. In the late 1980s, he embraced Sufi Islam along with members of his family and adopted the name Allah Rakha Rahman.
Rahman composed his first feature-film score for Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Roja (1992), which won him the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. The soundtrack was widely regarded as a turning point for Indian film music. He followed this with scores for Gentleman (1993), Kadhalan (1994), Bombay (1995), Indira (1995), and Rangeela (1995), the last of which marked his Hindi-cinema debut.
In 1997, Rahman released Vande Mataram, a non-film album marking the 50th anniversary of Indian independence. During this period he worked extensively with directors such as Mani Ratnam, S. Shankar, Bharathiraja, Rajiv Menon, Ashutosh Gowariker, and Subhash Ghai. Notable scores from this phase include Minsara Kanavu (1997), Dil Se.. (1998), Taal (1999), Lagaan (2001), Rang De Basanti (2006), Guru (2007), and Sivaji (2007). Lagaan, directed by Gowariker, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Rahman composed the score for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire (2008), winning Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Jai Ho", with lyricist Gulzar). He also won two Grammy Awards for the same work. He went on to compose for Hollywood productions including 127 Hours (2010), People Like Us (2012), and Million Dollar Arm (2014).
In Indian cinema, his subsequent work includes Delhi-6 (2009), Raavan (2010), Rockstar (2011), Highway (2014), Tamasha (2015), OK Kanmani (2015), Mom (2017), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022), and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023).
Rahman composed the music for Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical Bombay Dreams (2002) in London's West End, and for the stage adaptation of The Lord of the Rings (2007) along with Värttinä. He has performed concert tours globally and produced non-film albums such as Vande Mataram, Connections, and the soundtrack to Pele: Birth of a Legend.
Rahman established the KM Music Conservatory in Chennai in 2008, a music school offering training in Western classical, Indian classical, and contemporary music in association with Middlesex University and Trinity College London. He also runs Panchathan Record Inn and AM Studios in Chennai, considered among the most advanced recording studios in Asia.
Rahman lives in Chennai with his family. His sisters A. R. Reihana and Fathima Rafiq are also associated with music. His son A. R. Ameen and daughters Khatija and Raheema have performed as playback singers on his soundtracks.
Rahman is credited with modernising Indian film music through the use of digital production, multi-track recording, layered orchestration, and the integration of global musical idioms with Indian melodic and rhythmic traditions. His work substantially expanded the international audience for Indian film soundtracks and influenced a generation of Indian composers, sound engineers, and singers.