Mumbai: AR Rahman was born into a family of musicians. The maestro started his career with Mani Ratnam’s Roja in 1992, which immediately brought the singer-composer into the limelight. In his three-decade career, Rahman has created original scores for more than 145 Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, English, Persian, and Mandarin films.
AR Rahman, originally named AS Dilip Kumar was born in a Hindu family in Tamil Nadu. However, a significant turning point in his life led him to embrace Islam. It was during a critical period when his father was battling cancer that Rahman’s path intersected with that of a Sufi saint. This encounter not only resulted in the miraculous healing of his father but also sparked a profound spiritual transformation within Rahman himself.
In a conversation with Karan Thapar in 2000, Rahman said, “There was a Sufi who was treating him towards the end days before he died. We later met him after 7-8 years and that’s when we led another spiritual path which gave us peace.”
But did you know that the name ‘Rahman’ was given to the singer by a Hindu astrologer? In Nasreen Munni Kabir’s book AR. Rahman: The Spirit of Music, the legendary singer revealed that he visited a Hindu astrologer for the marriage of her sister, who suggested his Muslim name, “He suggested the names: Abdul Rahman and Abdul Rahim and said that either name would be good for me. I instantly loved the name, Rahman. It was a Hindu astrologer who gave me my Muslim name.”
He later chose the initials AR as it appeared in his mother’s dreams, making him Allah Rakha Rahman.
The Grammy and Academy Award winner’s latest project is the upcoming war drama film, Pippa which stars Mrunal Thakur and Ishaan Khattar in lead roles.
| Edited by Rasti Amena | 
