A. R. Rahman
An Indian composer whose fusion of classical traditions with electronic soundscapes gave a new, global voice to film music.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Indian composer and musician·Birthday: January 6·Generation X
Biography
Born A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, he transformed into A. R. Rahman after his family's conversion to Islam, a spiritual shift that deeply infused his artistic vision. A child prodigy on the keyboard, he spent his youth in studio sessions, absorbing a vast spectrum of sounds from Indian classical to Western pop. His 1992 debut score for 'Roja' was a revolution, replacing Bollywood's orchestral bombast with soulful synthesizers, haunting chants, and intricate melodies. Rahman built a sonic universe where a Sufi qawwali could sit comfortably next to a driving techno beat, earning him the nickname 'the Mozart of Madras.' His work on 'Slumdog Millionaire' catapulted him to international fame, his compositions providing the film's emotional backbone and introducing his sound to a global audience, all while he maintained a humble, studio-focused life in India.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
A. was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When A. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
A.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He won two Academy Awards (Best Original Score and Best Original Song) for his work on *Slumdog Millionaire*.
- He composed the music for the Broadway musical *Bombay Dreams*, bringing his sound to the West End and Broadway stages.
- His 2010 concert, 'A.R. Rahman Jai Ho Concert: The Journey Home World Tour,' was one of the highest-grossing world tours by a Indian artist.
- He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award, in 2010.
Did You Know?
He composed his first musical piece for a documentary when he was just nine years old.
He built one of Asia's most advanced personal recording studios, called the Panchathan Record Inn, in his backyard.
He provided the score for the 2016 Chinese film *The Thousand Faces of Dunjia*, marking a foray into East Asian cinema.
He is a vegetarian and has cited his dietary choices as being connected to his spirituality.
“The more I think, the more I feel there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.”
