Working in several of India`s various language film industries, international cinema and theatre, Allah Rakkha Rahman has become one of the world’s top 10 all-time selling recording artists, in a career spanning over a decade. His much acclaimed music compositions have given him a huge global fan following, as he has sold more than one hundred million records of his film scores and soundtracks and over two hundred million cassettes worldwide.
Rahman, who had to face tough times in his childhood, worked even harder to make it achieve what he has today. He was born to RK Shekhar, of Tamilian descent, who was a composer and conductor for Malayalam-language films in Keralite cinema. Rahman was 9 when his father died, and his family had to rent out the musical equipments as a source of income.
His family converted to Islam from Christianity in the late 1970s. Rahman was also a student at PSBB for a short while before changing schools. During these early years, he became a keyboard player and an arranger in bands such as "Roots" with a childhood friend, and played the keyboard and piano, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar.
He began early training in music under Master Dhanraj. Rahman later played in the orchestra of MS Viswanathan and Ramesh Naidu, accompanied Zakir Hussain, Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and L Shankar on world tours and obtained a scholarship to Trinity College of Music in London, where he graduated with a degree in Western classical music.
He was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award (The Hilton Award) for Best New Musical of 2002, "Bombay Dreams," performed at the Apollo Theatre, West End, London, and on Broadway in New York City.
AR Rahman’s work makes him one of the most appreciated and famous Indian record producers and musicians. His compositions led TIME Magazine to declare him the "Mozart of Madras" and several Tamil commentators have given him the title “Isai Puyal” (Musical Storm).
On 11th January, 2009, Rahman created history as he became the first Indian to win a Golden Globe award. He won Best Original Score for Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ at the 66th Golden Globe Awards.