A. R. Rahman: Age, Height, Wife, Children, Family, Net Worth, Biography & More

A. R. Rahman Quick Info

Biography – Wiki

Full Name	Allah Rakha Rahman
Real Name	A. S. Dileep Kumar
Nickname(s)	Isai Puyal, The Mozart of Madras
Profession(s)	Music Director, Singer
Physical Stats – Height – Weight & More
Height (Approx.)	In Centimetres- 165 Cm In Meters- 1.65 M In Feet Inches- 5’ 5”
Weight (Approx.)	In Kilograms- 70 Kg In Pounds- 154 Lbs
Eye Colour	Brown
Hair Colour	Black
Exploring the Personal Life of A. R. Rahman
Date of Birth	A.R. Rahman was born on January 6, 1967
Age	56 years old as of 2023
Birthplace	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Religion	Islam (converted from Hinduism)
Zodiac sign	As a Capricorn, He is known for being responsible, disciplined, and hardworking.
Signature
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
School	Attended Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan school for his early education.
College	Rahman pursued his college education at Madras Christian College, Chennai. He further honed his skills by attending the Trinity College of Music at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
Educational Qualification	Degree in Western Classical Music
Exploring the Family Tree: An Insight into Family Details
Family	Father- R. K. Shekhar (Music Composer) Rahman's father, R.K. Sekhar, was a protruding Tamil musician who composed scores for the Malayalam film industry Mother- Kareema Beegum, A.R. Rahman's mother was a housewife and a very important influence in his life. She passed away in 2021 at the age of 86 due to age-related ailments. Sisters- A. R. Reihana is an Indian playback singer and composer for films. She is the mother of G. V. Prakash Kumar and Bhavani Sree. Fathima Rafiq is a playback singer who has sung for various Tamil and Telugu films. Ishrath Qadri is a film composer who has worked on several Tamil and Hindi films as a music arranger. She has also played the veena for many of A.R. Rahman's compositions, including the hit song "Jiya Jale" from the movie Dil Se. Brother- None
Career Timeline and Achievements of A.R. Rahman
Soundtracks
1987	Rahman composed jingles for a line of watches introduced by Allwyn and arranged jingles for popular ads including Titan Watches
1992	He was approached by director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for his Tamil film, Roja. Rahman's film career began in the same year
1993	Rahman received the National Film Awards (Silver Lotus) award for best music director at the National Film Awards for Roja. Rahman followed this with successful scores and songs for Tamil–language films for the Chennai film industry, including Ratnam's politically charged Bombay, Thiruda Thiruda, and S. Shankar's debut film Gentleman.
1995	Rahman collaborated with director Bharathiraaja on Kizhakku Cheemayile and Karuththamma, producing successful Tamil rural folk-inspired film songs; he also composed for K. Balachander's Duet, which had some memorable Saxophone themes
1997	Rahman's soundtrack album for the Chennai production Minsaara Kanavu won him his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction and a South FilmFare Award for Best Music Direction in a Tamil film. Rahman expanded his Panchathan Record Inn studio by establishing AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai, creating the most cutting-edge studio in Asia
2005	Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music, with his score for Sillunu Oru Kaadhal. Rahman scored the Mandarin-language film Warriors of Heaven and Earth, after researching and using Chinese and Japanese classical music. Rahman expanded his Panchathan Record Inn studio by establishing AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai, creating the most cutting-edge studio in Asia.
2007	Rahman's music received a Best Composer Asian Film Award nomination at the Hong Kong International Film Festival for his Jodhaa Akbar score. He co-scored Shekhar Kapur's second British film, Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Rahman's music has been sampled for other scores in India, appearing in Inside Man, Lord of War, Divine Intervention, and The Accidental Husband
2008	Rahman scored for Bollywood films, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and Jodhaa Akbar that won critical acclaim, a Best Composer Asian Film Award nomination and IIFA awards for best music direction and score for Jodhaa Akbar. Rahman's music for 2008's Slumdog Millionaire won a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards (a first for an Asian). The songs "Jai Ho" and "O... Saya" from its soundtrack were internationally successful.
2009	A.R. Rahman composed the score for the first Hollywood film, Couples Retreat that won the BMI London Award for Best Score.
2010	Rahman Composed for romantic, sci-fi and Imtiaz Ali musical films. He composed the original score and songs for the romantic Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, the sci-fi romance Enthiran and Danny Boyle's 127 Hours, composing for the Imtiaz Ali musical Rockstar; the latter's soundtrack was a critical and commercial success.
2012	A.R. Rahman composed for Bollywood and American films and Ekk Deewana Tha, the American Drama People Like Us, and collaborated with director Yash Chopra on Jab Tak Hai Jaan, all of which were positively received. His music for Mani Ratnam's Kadal topped the iTunes India chart for December.
2013	Rahman Composed for "Raanjhanaa" that was nominated for several awards. He composed for "Maryan" that was named the iTunes India Tamil Album of 2013
2014	A.R. Rahman worked in 12 films in various languages and composed for "Highway" directed by Imtiaz Ali. He composed for "Kochadaiiyaan", a performance captured animation film directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth. The soundtrack of "Kochadaiiyaan" was long-listed at the Academy Awards. Rahman composed for "Million Dollar Arm" and "The Hundred Foot Journey", both Hollywood films. "Million Dollar Arm" and "The Hundred Foot Journey" were contending for the original score category nomination at the Oscars. A.R. Rahman composed for "Kaaviya Thalaivan", a period drama directed by Vasanthabalan and "I", a thriller directed by Shankar. A.R. Rahman composed for "Lingaa", a period action film directed by K. S. Ravikumar
Background Scores
2014	Rahman's background scores are characterised by subtle orchestration and ambient sounds
	He uses contemporary instruments such as Guitars, Cello, Flute, Strings, Keyboard, Finger board, Harpejji, Santoor, and traditional Indian instruments such as Shehnai, Sitar, Mrudangam, Veenai & Tabla
	His notable background scores include: Roja, Bombay, Iruvar, Minsara Kanavu, Dil Se.., Taal, Lagaan, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Bose: The Forgotten Hero, Guru, Jodhaa Akbar, Raavanan, Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa, Rockstar, Enthiran, Kadal, Kochadaiiyaan and I
	Rahman received two Academy Awards for Slumdog Millionaire and two Academy Award nominations for 127 Hours
2014	His background scores for Kochadaiiyaan, Million Dollar Arm, and The Hundred-Foot Journey were nominated for the Academy Awards
2017	His background score for the film Mersal received critical acclaim
2018	Rahman received a national award for the background score of the film Mom Rahman's ensemble, Qutub-E-Kripa, has co-credited him for the background scores of several films including 24, O Kadhal Kanmani, Tamasha, OK Jaanu, Kaatru Veliyidai, Mom, Chekka Chivantha Vaanam, Sarkar, and 2.0
Performing and other projects
1997	A.R. Rahman released Vande Mataram, an album of original compositions, for India's 50th anniversary of independence
1999	He partnered with choreographers Shobana and Prabhu Deva and a Tamil film-dancing troupe to perform with Michael Jackson in Munich
2002	Rahman composed the music for stage production Bombay Dreams, commissioned by Andrew Lloyd Webber
2004	Composed "Raga's Dance" for Vanessa-Mae's album Choreography
2006	A.R. Rahman released a two-disc CD, Introducing A. R. Rahman
2008	Released non-film album Connections
2009	Rahman Performed at a White House state dinner arranged by US President Barack Obama
2010	He composed "Jai Jai Garvi Gujarat" in honor of the 50th anniversary of the formation of Gujarat State and the theme song for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, "Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto"
2011	A.R. Rahman Collaborated with Michael Bolton on Bolton's album, Gems – The Duets Collection
2011	He formed supergroup SuperHeavy with Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and Rahman
2012	Rahman Composed a Punjabi song for the London Olympics opening ceremony
2012	Launched Qyuki, a networking site for story writers
2012	He Released the single "Infinite Love" in English and Hindi
2013	A.R. Rahman announced Rahmanishq tour
2016	Rahman Performed live in Chennai, Coimbatore & Madurai with a complete Tamil playlist for flood relief and creating awareness against cancer
2017	A.R. Rahman Released a 19-minute orchestral composition The Flying Lotus featuring the demonetisation
Awards & Honours Received by A.R. Rahman
Awards/Honours Year Details National Film Award 1992 Best Music Direction - Roja National Film Award 1996 Best Music Direction - Minsara Kanavu National Film Award 2001 Best Music Direction - Lagaan National Film Award 2002 Best Music Direction - Kannathil Muthamittal National Film Award 2017 Best Music Direction - Kaatru Veliyidai National Film Award 2017 Best Music Direction - Mom Academy Award 2009 Best Original Score and Best Original Song for "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire BAFTA Award 2009 Best Film Music - Slumdog Millionaire Grammy Award 2009 Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture and Best Song Written for a Motion Picture for "Jai Ho" - Slumdog Millionaire Honours 1995 Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu Honours 2000 Padma Shri by the Government of India Honours 2001 Awadh Samman by the Government of Uttar Pradesh Honours 2004 National Lata Mangeshkar Award by the Government of Madhya Pradesh Honours 2010 Padma Bhushan by the Government of India
Personal Life and Family
Marital Status	Married
Wife/Spouse	Saira Banu - Rahman is married to Saira Banu (not to be confused with the actress of the same name). She is the sister-in-law of actor Rahman.
	Daughter- Rahima & Khatija – She is known for singing "Pudhiya Manidha" from Enthiran. Son- Ameen – He is known for singing "NaNa" from Couples Retreat
Favourites and Hobbies
Favourite Food	A.R. Rahman's favourite food includes Palak Paneer, a vegetarian dish made with spinach and cottage cheese, and Rasam-Rice, a South Indian dish consisting of spicy lentil soup served with rice.
Favourite Musician(s)	Rahman has mentioned Ilayaraja, a renowned music director in the Tamil film industry, Mohammad Rafi, a legendary playback singer in the Indian film industry, and Michael Jackson, the king of pop.
Favourite Destination(s)	Rahman has mentioned Chennai and Mumbai, two major cities in India where he has spent a significant amount of time in his life. He has also mentioned London, a city that he has visited several times and where he has performed in concerts
Favourite Raaga	A.R. Rahman's favourite Raags is ‘Sindhu Bhairavi’
Hobbies	Rahman likes to Play Keyboard
Salary, Net Worth & Monthly Income
Salary	50 Crore +
Monthly Income	4 Crore +
Net Worth in Dollars	$80 Million
Net Worth In Indian Rupees	595 Crore INR

Unveiling the lesser-known facets of A.R. Rahman’s life

A.R. Rahman’s Early Life

• Rahman was formerly known as A. S. Dileep Kumar before he converted from Hinduism to Islam.
• He had a difficult childhood as his father passed away when he was only 9 years old, leaving him as the sole earning member of his family.
• Initially, A.R. Rahman played his father’s keyboard to earn money.

• He scored 62% in his board exams.
• A.R. Rahman aspired to be a computer engineer.
• He received his early music training from Master Dhanraj, following in his father’s footsteps.
• In 1989, AR Rahman and his family converted from Hinduism to Islam after his sister recovered from a severe illness. She attributed her recovery to the blessings of a Pir Qadri named Sheik Abdul Qadir Jeelani.
• A.R. Rahman’s first salary was 50 (INR) for operating a record player.

Rahman’s Early Career and Musical Ventures

• From 1984-88, Rahman was part of a band called “Roots”. During this period, he also played the keyboard for 10-12 Kannada films.

• Later, he joined a rock band called “Nemesis Avenue” as a producer-arranger and performed in a concert called “Jive Live”.

• In 1987, he began composing short songs for ad commercials, starting with Alwyn’s new trendy range of watches.
• Over the next 5 years, he composed around 300 ad jingles.

The Beginning of A.R. Rahman’s Career

• In 1991, Rahman met producer Sharada Trilok who introduced him to her cousin, Mani Ratnam.
• Impressed by his talent, Mani Ratnam gave Rahman his breakthrough in the film Roja (1992).
• In 2005, the Roja soundtrack was listed among TIME’s “10 Best Soundtracks” of all time.
• Rahman’s first film as a music composer was the Malayalam film Yodha (1992), starring Mohanlal.
• By 2004, Rahman had sold almost 200 million cassettes and 150 million recordings of his soundtracks, making him one of the world’s all-time top-selling recording artists.

A.R Rahman’s Greatest Accomplishments

• In 2008, Rahman founded the KM College of Music and Technology in Chennai, which was inaugurated by Mukesh Ambani.

• His Oscar Award-winning song “Jai Ho” was initially composed for the Bollywood film Yuvvraaj (2008) but later became a part of Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
• In 2012, he received a Christmas card and a dinner invitation from Barack Obama, the then President of the United States, at the White House.
• In August 2022, a street in the city of Markham, Canada, was named after A.R. Rahman.

• In 2013, it was announced that another street will be named after him in the same city. Upon receiving this honour, Rahman expressed his gratitude on Twitter and wrote that it gives him immense responsibility to do more and inspire others.

• In January 2018, he became the first-ever brand ambassador of Sikkim.

A.R Rahman’s Philanthropist Work

• In 2004, Rahman became the global ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a WHO project, and has supported Save the Children India.

• He worked with Yusuf Islam on the song “Indian Ocean” to help orphans affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
• Rahman produced the single “We Can Make It Better” by Don Asian with Mukhtar Sahota to support charity.
• In 2008, he founded the KM Music Conservatory to train aspiring musicians in vocals, instruments, music technology, and sound design. He also founded the Sunshine Orchestra to provide free music education to economically and socially deprived children.
• Rahman and percussionist Sivamani created the song “Jiya Se Jiya” to promote the Free Hugs Campaign.
• In 2017, he announced the One Heart Foundation to support people from the music industry and Ta Futures, a project to celebrate the sounds of Tamil Nadu.
• In 2019, Rahman performed a Sufi Benefit Concert at the annual New York gala of Pratham, a charity organization providing education to underprivileged children in India.

A.R Rahman’s Controversies

• A fatwa or fringe was issued against A.R Rahman for composing music for a biopic on Prophet Muhammad called “Muhammad: The Messenger of God.” 
• In 2019, Rahman, along with two other music composers, was issued a demand notice for not remitting service tax in full. Rahman filed a writ petition challenging the demand notice, but in 2023, the Madras High Court dismissed his petition. The GST commissioner claimed that Rahman had not transferred absolute copyright of his work to film producers, and had retained certain rights, which disqualified the assignment as an absolute transfer.
• In 2019, AR Rahman shared a picture on Twitter featuring his family members, including his daughter Khatija who was wearing a hijab, with Nita Ambani. Rahman captioned the picture “The precious ladies of my family Khatija, Raheema and Sairaa with NitaAmbaniji #freedomtochoose.” Following the post, some netizens accused Rahman of forcing his daughter to wear the hijab and called him a hypocrite and a dictator. However, Khatija later clarified that she wears the hijab by her own choice and that no one has the right to interfere in her dressing sense. [1]

A.R Rahman – Presence and Activity on Social Media.

References/Sources :

1. siasat.com

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