AR Rahman

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A.R. Rahman was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. His father, R.K. Shektar, was a music composer himself for Malayalam-language Keralite cinema. Prior to his own career as a composer, he created a couple of rock groups like Nemesis Avenue. His instruments of choice are the harmonium, keyboard, piano, and guitar. The most notable instrument he uses is the synthesizer, which he says, was the "ideal combination of music and technology." This would prove to be major for his later success. In 1992, Rahman began his own music recording and mixing studio attached to the backyard of his house called the Panchathan Record Inn, which was developed into India's most advanced recording studio His first film score was done in 1992 for the film "Roja."

The 1993 Best Music Director Award at the India National Film Awards was the first of countless awards he would receive over his career. He would win the Best Music Director three more times, a record for that award. Some of his notable works since this movie are "Bombay," "Kannathil Muthamittal," "Dil Se," and "Guru." The movies he makes are primarily in Tamil and Hindi, but has also done scores for English and Japanese speaking movies.

A.R. Rahmanâ€™s musical style was groundbreaking for it involved elements of rock, funk, Tamil traditional folk, Western classical, reggae, and Carnatic music. He was a trailblazer for making music scores by improvising these genres in any given mix as well as incorporating new audio technology to his work. Rahman attached and opened a developed extension studio to his Panchathan Record Inn in 2005 called AM Studios in Kodambakkam, Chennai â€” considered to be the most developed, equipped and high tech studio in Asia.

In 2006, Rahman launched his own music label, KM Music. A.R. Rahman has sold over 200 million records worldwide, making him one of the highest selling artists in recorded music history. He has won the Filmfare Award for Best Music Direction 12 times, including a streak where he won the award every year from 1992 to 2000.

In total, he has won 23 Filmfare Awards. In 2009, he won the Golden Globe for Best Music Score for the movie "Slumdog Millionaire." Perhaps his greatest crowning achievement came on February 22, 2009, when he won 2 Academy Awards, one for Best Original Song and Best Original Music Score. A. R. Rahman is married to Saira Bano. The couple has three children, Khadijah, Rahima and Aman. Rahman is related to the southern Indian actor Rashin Rahman. Rahman is the uncle of composer G. V. Prakash Kumar.

He converted to Islam from Hinduism in 1989 along with his family after a personal experience with a Sufism teacher. With many more projects on the horizon, A.R. Rahman will continue to add to his amazing resume and has left an indelible mark on the film industry worldwide.

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News

A.R. Rahman to Go 'Street Dancing' With Dave Stewart
Posted November 06th, 2009 09:11
Former Eurythmics rocker Dave Stewart is joining forces with "Slumdog Millionaire" music producer A.R. Rahman to work on the soundtrack of "Street Dancing." Read all about it here..

Film Review: 'Blue'
Posted October 17th, 2009 03:10
Is "Blue" a major success or disaster? Check what our critic had to say about this action packed film..

Cameron Diaz Wants to Conquer Bollywood
Posted October 07th, 2009 05:10
Watch out Nicole Scherzinger and Britney Spears, here comes Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz, and she wants to learn Bollywood dancing! Read all about it here..

Music Review: 'Couples Retreat' by A.R. Rahman
Posted October 03rd, 2009 04:10
A.R. Rahman made his Hollywood music debut and stunned the world with "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire." Let’s see what our critic has to say about his latest Hollywood soundtrack, "Couples Retreat.".

Music Review: 'Blue'
Posted September 10th, 2009 05:09
Check out our music review of A.R. Rahman's new soundtrack "Blue.".

Video: Kylie Minogue's 'Chiggy Wiggy' for the film 'Blue'
Posted September 07th, 2009 22:09
Check out Kylie Minogue doing the "Chiggy Wiggy" with Akshay Kumar for the film "Blue.".

MTV VMA 2009 Nominees
Posted August 05th, 2009 05:08
Check out the list of the nominees for this year's MTV Video Music Awards..

AR Rahman's Son Ameen Rahman Is Following His Father's Musical…
Posted July 30th, 2009 08:07
Read more about how AR Rahman's young son Ameen Rahman is making his musical debut..

AR Rahman Signs Massive Music Deal with Universal Music
Posted June 25th, 2009 07:06
Watch out world, AR Rahman has just signed a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, and he is taking the music community by storm...Read on to find out all the details!.

A.R. Rahman Goes on Jai Ho Tour
Posted May 11th, 2009 12:05
A.R. Rahman is easily one of the busiest people in Bollywood. In fact, he's probably already working hard on the next great Bollywood flick. That's why we wonder where he found the time to start a tour!.

A.R. Rahman Collaborates with Mick Jagger and Joss Stone
Posted May 06th, 2009 13:05
Music composer, A.R. Rahman collaborates with singer, Joss Stone and Mick Jagger, lead singer of rock band the Rolling Stones. Read to find out the details of the collaboration..

A.R. Rahman to Give Oprah Tour of India?
Posted May 06th, 2009 05:05
Is the famous American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey going to visit India and have A.R. Rahman show her around? Read the article to find out what was on Oprah's twitter in regards to this..

A.R. Rahman Performs At Time Magazineâ€™s Celebration!
Posted May 05th, 2009 10:05
Read to find out who A.R.Rahman is performing with tonight at Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People Celebration in New York City..

M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential…
Posted April 30th, 2009 08:04
Read the article about M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman being recognized as two of the most influential people in the world..

New York Times writes up a Bollywood Playlist
Posted March 25th, 2009 12:03
Bollywood has made its way into the New York Times, read more to find out which songs American Writer Daphne Beal chose for her Bollywood Playlist..

Pussycat Dolls 'Jai Ho' Remix Music Video
Posted March 14th, 2009 09:03
Read more about and watch the 'Jai Ho' remix music video featuring the Pussycat Dolls and A.R. Rahman..

2009 UK AMA Award Winners
Posted March 06th, 2009 12:03
Read the article to find out who were the big winners of last night's UK AMA's..

Kylie Minogue Records Songs for Akshay Kumar's Movie
Posted March 03rd, 2009 08:03
Read more about artist Kylie Minogue's collaboration with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar..

Delhi-6 Film Review
Posted February 28th, 2009 09:02
Our critic watched "Delhi-6". Read the review to see what she has to say about the film..

Exclusive Interview- AR Rahman on the SouthSide Show 63
Posted February 25th, 2009 10:02
Our very own Ashanti OMkar got an exclusive interview with the man of the moment, AR Rahman. Read the interview..

Bollywood Stars React to A.R. Rahman's Victory at the Oscars
Posted February 23rd, 2009 13:02
A.R. Rahman is getting praise everywhere from everyone! Read the article to see what your favorite Bollywood stars said about AR Rahman's win at the Oscars!.

A.R. Rahman and Pussycat Dolls Remix 'Jai Ho'
Posted February 23rd, 2009 15:02
US-based pop group, the Pussycat Dolls have collaborated with "Slumdog Millionaire" composer A.R. Rahman to remix the Oscar-winning "Jai Ho". Listen to the song now!.

A.R. Rahman Performs 'Jai Ho' on NBC's The Tonight Show with…
Posted February 20th, 2009 13:02
A.R. Rahman performed last night on Jay Leno! Check out the video of his performance of "Jai Ho" on NBC's The Tonight Show..

Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor Root for Slumdog
Posted February 20th, 2009 11:02
Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor are wishing A.R. Rahman luck this Sunday. Read the article to see what they said..

Exclusive: Abhishek Bachchan Sits Down to Discuss his New Film…
Posted February 10th, 2009 12:02
Abhishek Bachchan sat with Desi Hits! to discuss his role in the new film 'Delhi-6.' He sings the praises of co-stars Rishi Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor and composer A.R. Rahman. Click to check out the interview and clips of the upcoming film..

Win A Pair OF Dr. Dre's 'Beats' Headphones!
Posted January 23rd, 2009 15:01
Win a pair of the hot, 'Beats' headphones by Dr. Dre. Read to find out how you can own a pair of headphones that we spotted on M.I.A and A.R. Rahman!.

Desi Hits! Exclusive On A.R. Rahman's 'Jai Ho' Remix
Posted January 16th, 2009 21:01
Find out the scoop on this A.R. Rahman collaboration with the famous music producer, Polow da Don and the Pussycat Dolls..

'Slumdog Millionaire' nominated for 11 BAFTA's
Posted January 15th, 2009 13:01
Cinematic sensation 'Slumdog Millionaire' is nominated for 11 BAFTA awards after sweeping the Golden Globes..

Slumdog Millionaire Wins The Prize at the Golden Globes
Posted January 11th, 2009 21:01
Slumdog! Slumdog! SLUMDOG!!! Oh, what a night for Slumdog Millionaire! The film dominated the Golden Globes by winning all four of the awards it was nominated for!.

Video From the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Soundtrack Release
Posted January 08th, 2009 13:01
Check out the video of the cast from 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the JW Marriott promoting the release of the film's soundtrack.

A.R. Rahman Turns 43!
Posted January 07th, 2009 12:01
Happy Birthday to A.R. Rahman.

Music Release for the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Soundtrack
Posted January 06th, 2009 15:01
The stars of the hit film, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' came out to the JW Marriott to celebrate the release of the film's soundtrack.

Bollywood Comes Together for the Shantaram Awards
Posted December 27th, 2008 21:12
See if your favorite movie won an award this year.

Uber Preggers M.I.A. In an Exclusive Picture
Posted December 22nd, 2008 13:12
M.I.A. rocking Dr. Dre's latest headphone line.

Film Review: 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Posted December 22nd, 2008 09:12
We gave you exclusive interviews with the directior, composer, and lead actor of 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Now check out our review of one of 2008's biggest and most critically acclaimed movies..

Kylie Minogue to Shake her Booty in Bollywood Film, 'Blue'
Posted December 15th, 2008 13:12
Kylie Minogue to Shake her Booty in Bollywood Film, 'Blue'.

Exclusive Interview: A.R. Rahman
Posted December 15th, 2008 11:12
Desi Hits! got an exclusive interview with music maestro, A.R. Rahman. The man who is known as the 'Mozart of Madras' shared his thoughts on his work with, 'Slumdog Millionaire' as well as info on his upcoming projects!.

Nominations Finally Unveiled For the 2009 Golden Globe Awards
Posted December 11th, 2008 11:12
Glitz, Glamour and the Glitterati are going to set the red carpet on fire for the upcoming heralded Golden Globe Awards. So who is nominated this year? Drum roll please....................

More Critical Acclaim for 'Slumdog Millionaire'
Posted December 10th, 2008 14:12
We told you that when east meets west its pure magic and the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' proves we are right! To read about how the film has garnered more critical acclaim click..

'Ghajini' Songs Review - Hit or Sh!t?
Posted December 02nd, 2008 15:12
A music review for the soundtrack to the upcoming film 'Ghajini.'.

Film Review: Yuvvraaj
Posted November 22nd, 2008 08:11
Our DH! critic reviews 'Yuvvraaj'? Does the film live up to the hype made about it? Read to find out!.

'Yuvvraaj' Ready to Hit Theatres
Posted November 06th, 2008 07:11
Watch the just released trailer to 'Yuvvraaj', starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif!.

Aamir Khan At Special 'Ghajini' Press Screening
Posted October 28th, 2008 06:10
Check out photos of Aamir Khan at a recent PVR press screening for his new film, 'Ghajini'!.

Hip Hop Artist Akon To Collaborate With A.R. Rahman
Posted September 25th, 2008 06:09
A.R. Rahman and Akon are all set to make music together. The hip-hop artist admires the Indian composer and will be working with him in the near future..

New SouthSide Show #16
Posted February 25th, 2008 12:02
Ashanti Omkar and Terry Mardi present this weeks South Indian experience from two locations. Ashanti is in beautiful Chennai and Terry Mardi draws the short straw and gets to present from dull and grey Chiswick. Check out SouthSide Show 16….

New SouthSide Show #15
Posted February 18th, 2008 14:02
Ashanti Omkar and Terry Mardi return to present yet another pump action shows in tribute to the mighty AR Rahman, this week they showcase a special one-off track that AR Rahman did for Michael Jackson. This and lots more South Indian madness….

George Clooneyâ€™s A Messenger of Peace
Posted January 18th, 2008 16:01
H-Town hunk and award winning actor George Clooney has joined other a-list celebs like Brad and Angelina in making a difference worldwide. Clooney is being honored for his humanitarian work by the United Nations. The organization has named….

New SouthSide Show #13
Posted December 16th, 2007 07:12
Ashanti Omkar returns from the city of gold, Dubai, baring gifts and news from yonder. Check out South Side 13 right now on the Bollywood Channel to find out how Terry Mardi gets his vocal fix from the most organised 20 year old on the planet,….

New SouthSide Show #9
Posted October 01st, 2007 08:10
The boys at DesiHits Central are not satisfied with just one South Indian female so Ashanti Omkar brings in sexy Anusha to co-host this weeks edition of your favourite South Indian Show on the dot com. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE SEXIEST SOUTHSIDE….

New SouthSide Show #7
Posted September 16th, 2007 09:09
SouthSide 7 is back with exclusive an exclusive interview with hot actor Ateesh Randev of Sambar Salsa. The Pic above features Brit-Asian rising star Ateesh, but which banging bollywood babe is he standing beside? She will be on the next edition….

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A.R. Rahman to Go 'Street Dancing' With Dave Stewart Posted November 06th, 2009 09:11 Former Eurythmics rocker Dave Stewart is joining forces with "Slumdog Millionaire" music producer A.R. Rahman to work on the soundtrack of "Street Dancing." Read all about it here..

Film Review: 'Blue' Posted October 17th, 2009 03:10 Is "Blue" a major success or disaster? Check what our critic had to say about this action packed film..

Cameron Diaz Wants to Conquer Bollywood Posted October 07th, 2009 05:10 Watch out Nicole Scherzinger and Britney Spears, here comes Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz, and she wants to learn Bollywood dancing! Read all about it here..

Music Review: 'Couples Retreat' by A.R. Rahman Posted October 03rd, 2009 04:10 A.R. Rahman made his Hollywood music debut and stunned the world with "Jai Ho" from "Slumdog Millionaire." Let’s see what our critic has to say about his latest Hollywood soundtrack, "Couples Retreat.".

Music Review: 'Blue' Posted September 10th, 2009 05:09 Check out our music review of A.R. Rahman's new soundtrack "Blue.".

Video: Kylie Minogue's 'Chiggy Wiggy' for the film 'Blue' Posted September 07th, 2009 22:09 Check out Kylie Minogue doing the "Chiggy Wiggy" with Akshay Kumar for the film "Blue.".

MTV VMA 2009 Nominees Posted August 05th, 2009 05:08 Check out the list of the nominees for this year's MTV Video Music Awards..

AR Rahman's Son Ameen Rahman Is Following His Father's Musical… Posted July 30th, 2009 08:07 Read more about how AR Rahman's young son Ameen Rahman is making his musical debut..

AR Rahman Signs Massive Music Deal with Universal Music Posted June 25th, 2009 07:06 Watch out world, AR Rahman has just signed a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, and he is taking the music community by storm...Read on to find out all the details!.

A.R. Rahman Goes on Jai Ho Tour Posted May 11th, 2009 12:05 A.R. Rahman is easily one of the busiest people in Bollywood. In fact, he's probably already working hard on the next great Bollywood flick. That's why we wonder where he found the time to start a tour!.

A.R. Rahman Collaborates with Mick Jagger and Joss Stone Posted May 06th, 2009 13:05 Music composer, A.R. Rahman collaborates with singer, Joss Stone and Mick Jagger, lead singer of rock band the Rolling Stones. Read to find out the details of the collaboration..

A.R. Rahman to Give Oprah Tour of India? Posted May 06th, 2009 05:05 Is the famous American talk show host, Oprah Winfrey going to visit India and have A.R. Rahman show her around? Read the article to find out what was on Oprah's twitter in regards to this..

A.R. Rahman Performs At Time Magazineâ€™s Celebration! Posted May 05th, 2009 10:05 Read to find out who A.R.Rahman is performing with tonight at Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People Celebration in New York City..

M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman on Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential… Posted April 30th, 2009 08:04 Read the article about M.I.A. and A.R. Rahman being recognized as two of the most influential people in the world..

New York Times writes up a Bollywood Playlist Posted March 25th, 2009 12:03 Bollywood has made its way into the New York Times, read more to find out which songs American Writer Daphne Beal chose for her Bollywood Playlist..

Pussycat Dolls 'Jai Ho' Remix Music Video Posted March 14th, 2009 09:03 Read more about and watch the 'Jai Ho' remix music video featuring the Pussycat Dolls and A.R. Rahman..

2009 UK AMA Award Winners Posted March 06th, 2009 12:03 Read the article to find out who were the big winners of last night's UK AMA's..

Kylie Minogue Records Songs for Akshay Kumar's Movie Posted March 03rd, 2009 08:03 Read more about artist Kylie Minogue's collaboration with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar..

Delhi-6 Film Review Posted February 28th, 2009 09:02 Our critic watched "Delhi-6". Read the review to see what she has to say about the film..

Exclusive Interview- AR Rahman on the SouthSide Show 63 Posted February 25th, 2009 10:02 Our very own Ashanti OMkar got an exclusive interview with the man of the moment, AR Rahman. Read the interview..

Bollywood Stars React to A.R. Rahman's Victory at the Oscars Posted February 23rd, 2009 13:02 A.R. Rahman is getting praise everywhere from everyone! Read the article to see what your favorite Bollywood stars said about AR Rahman's win at the Oscars!.

A.R. Rahman and Pussycat Dolls Remix 'Jai Ho' Posted February 23rd, 2009 15:02 US-based pop group, the Pussycat Dolls have collaborated with "Slumdog Millionaire" composer A.R. Rahman to remix the Oscar-winning "Jai Ho". Listen to the song now!.

A.R. Rahman Performs 'Jai Ho' on NBC's The Tonight Show with… Posted February 20th, 2009 13:02 A.R. Rahman performed last night on Jay Leno! Check out the video of his performance of "Jai Ho" on NBC's The Tonight Show..

Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor Root for Slumdog Posted February 20th, 2009 11:02 Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor are wishing A.R. Rahman luck this Sunday. Read the article to see what they said..

Win A Pair OF Dr. Dre's 'Beats' Headphones! Posted January 23rd, 2009 15:01 Win a pair of the hot, 'Beats' headphones by Dr. Dre. Read to find out how you can own a pair of headphones that we spotted on M.I.A and A.R. Rahman!.

Desi Hits! Exclusive On A.R. Rahman's 'Jai Ho' Remix Posted January 16th, 2009 21:01 Find out the scoop on this A.R. Rahman collaboration with the famous music producer, Polow da Don and the Pussycat Dolls..

'Slumdog Millionaire' nominated for 11 BAFTA's Posted January 15th, 2009 13:01 Cinematic sensation 'Slumdog Millionaire' is nominated for 11 BAFTA awards after sweeping the Golden Globes..

Slumdog Millionaire Wins The Prize at the Golden Globes Posted January 11th, 2009 21:01 Slumdog! Slumdog! SLUMDOG!!! Oh, what a night for Slumdog Millionaire! The film dominated the Golden Globes by winning all four of the awards it was nominated for!.

Video From the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Soundtrack Release Posted January 08th, 2009 13:01 Check out the video of the cast from 'Slumdog Millionaire' at the JW Marriott promoting the release of the film's soundtrack.

A.R. Rahman Turns 43! Posted January 07th, 2009 12:01 Happy Birthday to A.R. Rahman.

Music Release for the 'Slumdog Millionaire' Soundtrack Posted January 06th, 2009 15:01 The stars of the hit film, 'Slumdog Millionaire,' came out to the JW Marriott to celebrate the release of the film's soundtrack.

Bollywood Comes Together for the Shantaram Awards Posted December 27th, 2008 21:12 See if your favorite movie won an award this year.

Uber Preggers M.I.A. In an Exclusive Picture Posted December 22nd, 2008 13:12 M.I.A. rocking Dr. Dre's latest headphone line.

Film Review: 'Slumdog Millionaire' Posted December 22nd, 2008 09:12 We gave you exclusive interviews with the directior, composer, and lead actor of 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Now check out our review of one of 2008's biggest and most critically acclaimed movies..

Kylie Minogue to Shake her Booty in Bollywood Film, 'Blue' Posted December 15th, 2008 13:12 Kylie Minogue to Shake her Booty in Bollywood Film, 'Blue'.

Exclusive Interview: A.R. Rahman Posted December 15th, 2008 11:12 Desi Hits! got an exclusive interview with music maestro, A.R. Rahman. The man who is known as the 'Mozart of Madras' shared his thoughts on his work with, 'Slumdog Millionaire' as well as info on his upcoming projects!.

Nominations Finally Unveiled For the 2009 Golden Globe Awards Posted December 11th, 2008 11:12 Glitz, Glamour and the Glitterati are going to set the red carpet on fire for the upcoming heralded Golden Globe Awards. So who is nominated this year? Drum roll please....................

More Critical Acclaim for 'Slumdog Millionaire' Posted December 10th, 2008 14:12 We told you that when east meets west its pure magic and the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' proves we are right! To read about how the film has garnered more critical acclaim click..

'Ghajini' Songs Review - Hit or Sh!t? Posted December 02nd, 2008 15:12 A music review for the soundtrack to the upcoming film 'Ghajini.'.

Film Review: Yuvvraaj Posted November 22nd, 2008 08:11 Our DH! critic reviews 'Yuvvraaj'? Does the film live up to the hype made about it? Read to find out!.

'Yuvvraaj' Ready to Hit Theatres Posted November 06th, 2008 07:11 Watch the just released trailer to 'Yuvvraaj', starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif!.

Aamir Khan At Special 'Ghajini' Press Screening Posted October 28th, 2008 06:10 Check out photos of Aamir Khan at a recent PVR press screening for his new film, 'Ghajini'!.

Hip Hop Artist Akon To Collaborate With A.R. Rahman Posted September 25th, 2008 06:09 A.R. Rahman and Akon are all set to make music together. The hip-hop artist admires the Indian composer and will be working with him in the near future..

New SouthSide Show #16 Posted February 25th, 2008 12:02 Ashanti Omkar and Terry Mardi present this weeks South Indian experience from two locations. Ashanti is in beautiful Chennai and Terry Mardi draws the short straw and gets to present from dull and grey Chiswick. Check out SouthSide Show 16….