A. R. Rahman

A. R. Rahman is an Indian composer, singer and record producer known as the 'Mozart of Madras'. Born on 6 January 1967 in Chennai, he redefined Indian film music from Roja (1992) onward and won two Academy Awards, two Grammys and a BAFTA for Slumdog Millionaire (2008).

A. R. Rahman is an Indian composer, singer and record producer widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians in the world. Born Allah Rakha Rahman on 6 January 1967 in Chennai, he transformed the sound of Indian film music from the early 1990s onward, blending Indian classical and folk traditions with electronic, orchestral and world-music textures. Affectionately called the "Mozart of Madras", he has won two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA and multiple National Film Awards, making him one of the most decorated Indian artists on the global stage. This page covers the A. R. Rahman biography, his age, family, career, wife and net worth.

The A. R. Rahman family had music in its blood. His father, R. K. Shekhar, was a composer and conductor for Malayalam and Tamil films, and his mother is Kareema Beegum. Rahman lost his father when he was only nine years old, after which the family faced severe hardship — his mother reportedly sold her jewellery to buy his early studio equipment. He has three sisters, A. R. Reihana, Fathima Rafiq and Ishrath Qadri.

Born into a Hindu family and originally named A. S. Dileep Kumar, he and his family embraced Islam in 1989 following a period of illness in the family, and he took the name Allah Rakha Rahman.

He studied at Padma Seshadri Bal Bhavan in Chennai and trained in music under Master Dhanraj from a young age, playing keyboard in bands such as "Roots" during the 1980s. He later earned a scholarship to study Western classical music at Trinity College of Music, Oxford. To support his family, he began working as a session keyboardist and arranger while still a teenager.

The A. R. Rahman career began behind the scenes: between 1987 and 1992 he composed around 300 advertising jingles and worked as a session musician and arranger. His breakthrough arrived when director Mani Ratnam hired him to score Roja (1992) — an instant sensation that won him the National Film Award for Best Music Direction on his very first film.

Through the 1990s and 2000s he became the dominant force in Indian film music, scoring landmark soundtracks across Tamil, Hindi and other languages, including Bombay, Dil Se, Taal, Lagaan and Rang De Basanti. He also released the patriotic album Vande Mataram in 1997.

His score for Slumdog Millionaire (2008) brought him worldwide acclaim, winning two Academy Awards — Best Original Score and Best Original Song for "Jai Ho" — along with a BAFTA and two Grammy Awards in 2009. He has since composed for Hollywood and international projects and founded the KM College of Music and Technology in Chennai to nurture new talent.

A. R. Rahman married Saira Banu on 12 March 1995. The couple have three children — daughters Khatija and Rahima, and a son, Ameen, who shares his father's 6 January birthday. In November 2024 Rahman and Saira Banu announced their separation after nearly three decades of marriage. A deeply spiritual person, Rahman is known for composing largely at night, and he neither smokes nor drinks alcohol.

The A. R. Rahman net worth is reported by third-party outlets at around ₹1,600 crore (roughly $170 million+), figures that are public estimates rather than confirmed numbers. His income spans film scores, for which he reportedly commands several crore rupees per project, along with concerts, music production, royalties and brand endorsements. He also founded the KM Music Conservatory and remains one of the highest-earning musicians in Indian entertainment.