Birthday Special : Superb Amazing Facts About A. R. Rahman No One Told You Ever

Music in India is incomplete without the legendary musician, playback singer, composer, music director “A.R.Rahman“. He has given a lot to India and also to the world in music. The only Indian to have won an Oscar has achieved a lot in just 48 years of his life. He is the living example of the saying “Develop talent and success will definitely come in your way”. His journey from Dilip Kumar to A.R.Rahman to “THE A.R.RAHMAN” has lots of things which can inspire us.

Here are some interesting facts about the “Mozart Of Madras”.

1) Rahman wanted to become a computer engineer. The computer engineering world’s loss is the music world’s gain. “I wanted to be a computer engineer when I was a kid. Electronic gadgets and technology fascinated me.”

2) He made a debut on TV during his childhood. “In 1980, when I was thirteen a kind producer who was called Rajan introduced me in a children’s programme called ‘Wonder Balloon’ on national television [Doordarshan]. It seemed a big achievement in those days to see a kid playing four keyboards. Soon after the programme was aired, people started to recognise me on the street: ‘Oh, it’s that kid. We saw him on TV last Sunday.’”

3) He changed his name from Dilip Kumar to A.R. Rahman. He thought that his name did not suit his personality and thus wanted to change it. He finally changed his name when he went to an astrologer for his sister’s wedding.

4) A.R. Rahman might be the country’s best musician but he didn’t complete his schooling. Rahman was asked to leave school because of poor attendance at the age of 15.

5) Rahman does not celebrate his birthday in a grandeur way. He offers early morning prayers and visits the orphanage to celebrate his birthday peacefully.

6) The world knows Rahman’s first film to be “Roja”. But this is not true. His first film was “Yodha”. This film starred Mohanlal in Malayalam.

Director Mani Ratnam is the only person who can meet Rahman at any time of his choice.

7) He talks very less. But to the close friends circle Rahman just loves to talk and laugh. “Music is the tool through which he keeps on speaking.

8) A.R. Rahman likes listening to songs based on the raaga Sindhu Bhairavi.

9) When filmmaker Subhash Ghai once told Rahman during the music of Taal that he would once win an Oscar, Rahman laughed aloud and replied that he could not.

10) He loves working for society, for people who need help. At the same time, he hates its publicity.

11) ACHIEVEMENTS…

*In 2004, he was appointed as a Global Brand ambassador of the Stop TB Partnership, a project by WHO.

*He has been honored with the Padma Bhushan award and Padma Shri award from the Government of India.

*In 2007, Rahman was entered in the Limca Books of Awards as “Indian of the Year for Contribution to Popular Music”.

*Vande Mataram, an album of his original compositions released on India’s 50th anniversary of independence in 1997, enjoyed great commercial success.

*He has provided the scores for many successful Hollywood films, including 127 Hours in 2010, Slumdog Millionaire in 2008, and Lord of War in 2005.

* His love and divine respect for music brought him and our India two Oscars proudly.

*Recent album “Couples Retreat” bagged more than 100 million dollars. This Hollywood movie has a Tamil song as well.

*Rahman is the only Indian to be featured in ‘List of best-selling music artists of the world’.