Allah Rakha Rahman(born on January 6, 1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) is an award-winning composer, record producer and musician.
. R. Rahman was born to R. K. Shekhar, a composer, arranger for many south indian -language films. His father died when Rahman was nine years old, and his family rented out musical equipment as a source of income. Rahman converted to Islam after a personal family incident and was a student at PSBB for a short while before changing schools.
During these early years, Rahman served as a Keybaordist and an arranger in bands such as "Roots" with friends, embracing numerous music genres. He played the keyboard and piano, in addition to, among others, the synthesizer, the harmonium and the guitar. His curiosity in the synthesizer in particular increased because, he says, it was the “ideal combination of music and technology. He began training in Carnatic music. At the age of 11, he joined, as a keyboardist, the troupe of Indian composer Ilaiyaraja one of many composers to whom musical instruments belonging to Rahman's father were rented to. Rahman later played in the orchestra of M.S Viswanathan and Ramesh Naidu, accompanied Zakir Hussain andKunnakudi on world tours and obtained scholarship to Trinity College at Oxford University, where he graduated with a degree in Western Classical Music.
Film scoring and soundtracks
In 1991, Rahman began his own studio, attached to his house, called the Panchathan Record Inn.. He initially composed music for advertisements, the title music of Indian Television channels and music in documentaries, among other projects. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam's Tamil language film Roja.
After that he has given many hits such as Bombay, Kadhalan, Indira, Minsaara Kanavu, Muthu and Love Birds Gentelman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Dil Se and Taal.
. The debut led Rahman to receive the Rajat Kamal award for Best Music Director at the National Film Awards, the first time ever by a first-time film composer. Rahman has since then gone on to win the award three more times (for his scores for Minsaara Kanavu (Electric Dreams, Tamil) in 1997, Lagaan (Tax, Hindi) in 2002 and Kannathil Muthamittal (A Kiss on the Cheek, Tamil ) in 2003), the most ever by any composer.
Other works
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from films. He made an album Vande Mataram (1996) on India's national song, singing the title song on the album. He followed it up with an album called Jana gana mana, a conglomeration of performances by many leading exponents/artists of Indian classical music. In addition to writing jingles for ads, he has composed several orchestrations for athletic events and T.V. and internet media publications, documentaries and short films ..
In a career spanning over a decade, Rahman has sold more than one hundred million records of his film scores and soundtracks world-wide and sold over two hundred million cassettes making him one of the world's top 25 all-time top selling recording artists.
Awards
This page presents a list of awards and nominations awarded to film composer and instrumentalist A. R. Rahman.
• National Film Awards (India)
o 1993 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Roja
o 1997 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Minsaara Kanavu
o 2002 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Lagaan
o 2003 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Kannathil Muthamittal
• Filmfare Awards (India)
o 1995 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Rangeela
o 1998 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Dil Se
o 1999 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Taal
o 2001 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Lagaan
o 2002 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Saathiya
o 2002 - Filmfare Best Background Score - The Legend of Bhagat Singh
o 2004 - Filmfare Best Background Score - Swades
o 2006 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Rang de Basanti
o He also won a "Filmfare R D Burman Music Debutant Award" for Roja's dubbed Hindi version.
• South Indian Filmfare Awards
o 1993 - Best Music - Roja
o 1994 - Best Music - Gentleman
o 1995 - Best Music - Kadhalan
o 1996 - Best Music - Bombay
o 1997 - Best Music - Kadhal Desam
o 1998 - Best Music - Minsaara Kanavu
o 1999 - Best Music - Jeans
o 2000 - Best Music - Mudhalvan
o 2001 - Best Music - Alaipayuthey
o 2006 - Best Music - Sillunu Oru Kadhal
• Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
o 1993 - Best Music - Roja
o 1994 - Best Music - Gentleman
o 1995 - Best Music - Kadhalan
o 1996 - Best Music - Bombay
o 1997 - Best Music - Minsaara Kanavu
o 2000 - Best Music - Sangamam
• Zee Cine Awards (India)
o 2000 - ** 2002 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Lagaan
o 2006 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Rang De Basanti
• GIFA Awards (Malaysia)
o 2006 - GIFA Award for Best Music - Rang De Basanti
o 2006 - GIFA Award for Best Background Music - Rang De Basanti
• IIFA Awards (UK/South Africa/Malaysia/Yorkshire)
o 2007 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Rang De Basanti
o 2002 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Lagaan
o 2003 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Saathiya
o 2000 - IIFA Best Music Direction - Taal
• Star Screen Awards
o 2002 - Best Background Music
• Swaralaya Yesudas Award (India)
o 2006 - Swaralaya-Kairali-Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music field
• 2000 - Padma Shri (India)
Screen-Videocon Awards Kadhal Desam (South - Tamil; 1997) Minsara Kanavu (South - Tamil; 1998) Vande Mataram (Non-film; 1998) Taal (Hindi; 2000) Other Awards was nominated for Laurence Olivier Theatre Award (2003) (The Hilton Award) for "Best New Musical of 2002" - Bombay Dreams Musical
Sangeet Awards 2005 Best Music Director (Film music - Swades)
The Mahavir-Mahatma Award (Instituted by the Oneness Forum)
National Lata Mangeshkar awards for 2004-05 ( The awards instituted by Madhya Pradesh government )
Sangeet Awards 2004 Best Music Director (Film music - Yuva) Best music arranger (Critics award) for 'Yeh Rishta' - Meenakshi 2004 American India Awards R D Burman Award at the SuMu Music Awards (1993) Madras Telugu Academy Puraskar (1992 to 1994) Bommai Nagi Reddy Award (1995/96) Lux-Kumudam Award for Kadhalan (1995) Mauritius National Award (1995; for contribution to music) Malaysian Award (1996; for contribution to music) Sanskriti Award from Delhi based Sanskriti foundation (1994) Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu Government (1995) Thangapillai Award Rajiv Gandhi Award 3rd Channel [V] Awards - Coca Cola Viewer's Choice Award 1998 The Channel [V]-IMI Award for Best Producer for Vandemataram 1998 Fanta Award in 1999 Stardust Cine Honours Taal (2000) Filmgoers's Award Taal (2000) First Bollywood Music Awards (Best Music Director and Best Song) Taal (2000) V Shantaram Award: Taal (2001) Bollywood US Awards (2003) Best Music Director : Saathiya 8th Annual Planet-Bollywood Awards (People's Choice Awards! - Best of 2002) Best Music Direction : Saathiya, The Legend of Bhagat Singh Star Screen Award - Best Background Score - Rang De Basanti
Dinakaran Cine Awards Minsara Kanavu (1998) Jeans (1999) Mudalvan, Kadhalar Dhinam (2000)
MTV Awards MTV-VMA Award for Dil Se Re song from Dil Se.. 1999 MTV Asia Awards 2003 for Favourite Artist India MTV IMMIES 2003 - Best Music Composer - 'Saathiya' - Saathiya ( Hindi )
A. R. Rahman has been nominated for the following awards:
• Laurence Olivier Awards (UK)
o 2003 - Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical - Bombay Dreams
• Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Canada)
o 2006 - General Theatre Division - Outstanding Musical Direction - The Lord of the Rings musical.
