Photo: Dani Charles Silverscreen Media Inc. (https://silverscreen.in) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What fascinates me about A. R. Rahman is how effortlessly he dissolves the border between devotional tradition and cutting-edge studio craft. Plenty of composers borrow from their roots; Rahman builds entire sonic worlds from his, then invites the rest of the planet inside. The shelf of Filmfare trophies and the Padma Bhushan tell you he is respected, but they undersell how quietly radical his arrangements are, with Carnatic phrasing, electronic textures, and huge choruses living in a single cue. I also admire his restraint as a public figure; the humility reads as genuine, and it shows up in music that serves the story first and the ego never.
Overview
Allah Rakha Rahman (; 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 known for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in international cinema.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- A. R. Rahman
- Name (Japanese)
- A.R.ラフマーン
- Reading
- A.R.らふまーん
- Born
- January 6, 1966 (age 60)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Horse
- Origin
- Chennai, Chennai district, India
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / singer / entrepreneur / multi-instrumentalist / record producer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Madras Christian College Higher Secondary School
Awards & achievements
- 2010 Padma Bhushan
- 2009 CNN-News18 Indian of the Year
- 1992 National Film Award for Best Music Direction
- 1993 Filmfare Award for Best Music Director – Tamil
- 1995 Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent
- 2003 Filmfare Award for Best Background Score
- 2005 Filmfare Award for Best Background Score
- 2008 Filmfare Award for Best Background Score
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | A. R. Rahman discography | — |
6. Links
Composer — see all → · Singer — see all → · More people from India →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.