Sujoy's Pick: A. R. Rahman

This one is really very special. The HOT CAKE of TheReelMag. Maximum hits... ever. Neha you got it....

A.R. Rahman | Statesmen

In 1990's, who listened to Tamil music beyond the water of Kaveri? Hardly anyone. What did Indian teenagers dance to at discotheques? What else but Michael Jackson. But one man single handedly changed all that.


He solidly bridged the gap across the Vindhyas, between Tamil & Hindi with an universal language of all times,” MUSIC". Independence Day, year 1992, marked the demolition of all conventional rules in Indian film music when Hindi speaking denizens lapped up at Carnatic tunes of Roja. Year 1995, saw first time a Hindi movie, Rangeela running successfully in Tamil Nadu, the trick being that distributors did away with the actors altogether from the posters and replaced them with Rahman & catch line "The first original score of A.R. Rahman in Hindi". Rahman is the first composer to receive adulation that was reserved for the biggest of film stars.

"Muaqabla", "Mustafha", "Humma Humma" & "Chaiyaa Chaiyya" were the songs which turned Indian film music to "cool & hip". Indian youth danced to these tunes at every pub, club or disco. Crowd even danced in the theatres and forcing them to show the songs again. Nearly a dozen versions of the song "Muqabala" were churned out, earning the song and Rahman a place in the Limca Book of Records!! "Bombay" was the being biggest seller in the history of Indian films music, selling close to 15 million units in all languages till date. His popularity touched such heights that albums with music composed by someone else were falsely credited to Rahman & released in the market.

Rahman is not just a national idol but an internationally known figure quite before "Slumdog". His tracks have been used in several international fashion shows. He was invited to compose the theme music of the 1996 Cricket world Cup which he didn’t accept due to unspecified reasons. He was the first composer to be invited by Webber to work in a musical. In 1997, when International music giant, Sony Music, planned to enter Indian market, it signed one of the biggest financial deals of India of those times with Rahman, on a 3-album contract. Result the world saw was, "Vandematram", a tribute to the motherland, on 50th year of Independence. This was released simultaneously in 28 countries across the world.

But this world famous composer actually wanted to become a computer engineer, thank God he didn’t, else what would have happened of 4 National awards,13 Filmfare awards, 1 Golden Globe,2 Oscars, & many more in future won by him.


Tech savvy Rahman avoids making music on tape, and prefers to carry his music on his portable computer with MAC platform. His studio Panchathan Record Inn is one of India's most well equipped & advanced recording studios, also giving platform to new talents regarding it to be his social responsibility. His western rhythms mixed with Indian classical and garnished with local folk is the 'raga' of Indian cinema, no doubtedly calling him, 'Isai Arasan' (emperor of music).

Written By: Neha Jain