Allah Rakha Rahman ( ஏ.ஆர்.ரஹ்மான்), born on january 6,1966 as A. S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai is a composer and musician He is widely regarded as one of the greatest film composers ever, and his career is considered a turning point in the history of film music. Many credit him with having single-handedly revolutionized the standards of film music composition in India. He is also credited with re-energizing the popularity of Indian film music the world over.
In a career spanning over a decade, Rahman, by 2003, had sold more than one hundred million records of his filmz scores and sound track world wide.....
However, In an interview in the
His Career
Film scoring and soundtracks
In 1991, Rahman began his own music recording and mixing studio, attached to backyard of his house, called the Panchathan Record Inn. He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores 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 film Roja. 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, Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek, Tamil) in 2003, the most ever by any composer.
Roja's score met with high sales and acclaim, in its original and dubbed versions, bringing about an effective transformation in film music at the time, and Rahman followed this with scores for films including, among others, Bombay, Kadhalan, Indira, Minsaara Kanavu, Muthu and Love Birds, which gained him notice. His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil film industry and across the country for his versatality in classical, folk, jazz, reggae, soft rock and other styles in his pieces. Rangeela, directed by Ram Gopal Varma, marked Rahman's debut in Hindi films. Many popular and superhit scores for films including Dil Se and
Rahman's work is also unique in the fact that his collaborations with some film directors have always resulted in successful soundtracks. In particular, he has worked with Mani Ratnam on ten films until 2006, all of which have been musical hits. Also notable is his collaboration with the director S. Shankar in the films Gentleman, Kadhalan, Indian, Jeans, Mudhalvan, Nayak, Boys and Sivaji.
His first movie album Roja was listed in TIME's "Top 10 Movie Soundtracks of All Time" in 2005. Rahman continued to record frequently in his studio, the Panchathan Record Inn. In 2005, a newly developed recording studio, attached to the
Other works
Rahman has been involved in several projects aside from film. He made an album Vande Mataram (1997) on
In 1999, Rahman, along with choreographers Shobhana and Prabhu Deva Sundaram and a dancing troupe from the Tamil film industry performed with Michael Jackson in
In the last six years, he has performed in three successful world tours of his concerts to audiences in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, UK, Canada, the US (Hollywood Bowl and 3d tour) and India A two-disc soundtrack, Introducing A. R. Rahman, (2006) featuring 25 pieces he composed from his Tamil film scores was released in May 2006.
Music style
Rahman's instant success is owed to his clever usage of Western instruments. His interest in the works of Classical and Romantic period composers, Carnatic composers, early film composers and predecessors K. V. Mahadevan and Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy of the film industry of Tamil Nadu and others continued through his late teens. He further explored and trained in Carnatic music, Western classical, Hindustani music and the Qawwali style of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, in addition to numerous other styles. His interest and outlook in music is said to stem from his love of experimentation. As a result, his scores have alternated from songs and themes composed covering a variety of genres, with unconventionally-grouped instruments, and different vocal styles being used and combined together in some of his film soundtracks, to more traditional orchestral themes with leitmotif techniques composed in others. Rahman's works often feature a mix of minimalist songs and evocative, thematic pieces, building on his differing chord progressions and rhythms. He has written scores and songs with new and varied melodic and percussive sounds from instruments of different music systems.
Masterpieces Of AR
- Roja (1992)
- Yodha (1992)
- Uzhavan(1993)
- Thiruda Thiruda (1993)
- Pudhiya Mugam (1993)
- Gentleman (1993)
- Vanryryewryedicholai Chinnaraasu (1994)
- Super Police (1994)
- Pudhiya Mannargalyhery (1994)
- Pavithra (1994)
- May Madham (1994)
- Kizhakku Cheemayile (1994)
- Karuththamma (1994)
- Kadhalan (1994)
- Duet (1994)
- Manitha Manitha (1994)
- Gangmaster (1994)
- Indira (1995)
- Rangeela (1995)
- Muthu (1995)
- Love Birds (1996)
- Indian (1996)
- Kadhal Desam (1996)
- Fire (1996)
- Mr. Romeo (1996)
- Anthimantharai (1996)
- Minsaara Kanavu (1997)
- Iruvar (1997)
- Daud: Fun On The Run (1997)
- Ratchagan (1997)
- Mona Lisa (1997)
- Jeans (1998)
- Dil Se… (1998)
- Earth (1998)
- Doli Saja Ke Rakhna (1998)
- Kabhi Na Kabhi (1998)
- En Swasa Kaatre (1999)
- Jodi (1999)
- Padayappa (1999)
- Takshak (1999)
- Kadhalar Dhinam (1999)
- Pukar (1999)
- Sangamam (1999)
- Mudhalvan (1999)
- Taj Mahal (2000)
- Alaipayuthey (2000)
- Fiza (2000) (1 song)
- Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000)
- Rhythm (2000)
- Thenali (2000)
- Zubeidaa (2000)
- One 2 Ka 4 (2001)
- Nayak: The Real Hero (2001)
- Love You Hamesha (2001)
- Star (2001)
- Lagaan (2001)
- Parthale Paravasam (2001)
- Alli Arjuna (2001)
- Kannathil Muthamittal (2002)
- The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)
- Baba (2002)
- Kadhal Virus (2002)
- Saathiya (2002)
- Udhaya (2003)
- Naani (2003)
- Parasuram (2003)
- Boys (2003)
- Enakku 20 Unakku 18 (2003)
- Kangalal Kaithu Sei (2003)
- Tehzeeb (2003)
- Warriors of Heaven and Earth (2004)
- Lakeer - Forbidden Lines (2004)
- Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004)
- Aayitha Ezhuthu / Yuva (2004)
- New / Nani (2004)
- Dil Ne Jise Apna Kahaa (2004) (3 songs)
- Swades (2004)
- Kisna - The Warrior Poet (2004) (1 song)
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2005)
- The Rising - Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005)
- Anbe Aaruyire (2005)
- Water (2005) (5 songs)
- Rang De Basanti (2006)
- Sillunu Oru Kaadhal (2006)
- Varalaru - The History of the Godfather (2006)
- Guru (2007)
- Provoked (2007)
- Sajni (2007)
- Sivaji: The Boss (2007)
- Azhagiya Thamizh Magan (2007)
- Jodhaa Akbar (2008)
- Al Risalah (1 song) (2008)
- Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na (2008)
- Sakkarakatti (2008)
Upcoming Films
- Chennaiyil Oru Mazhaikalam (2008)
- Puli (2008)
- Ghajini(Hindi Remake) (2008)
- Dilli 6 (2008)
- Main Yuvraj (2008)
- What Is Cooking? (2008)
- Eight by Ten (2008)
- Sultan: The Warrior (2009)
- Nairsan (2009)
- Exclusion (2009)
- Dhun (2009)
- Chamki Chameli(2009)
- Manavar Dhinam (2009)
- Marmayogi(2010)
- Robot (2010)
- Blue (Announced)
- What's Your Raashee? (Announced)
- Ponnar Shankar (Announced)
