A. R. Rahman, a two-time winner and five-time nominee of the Academy Award, is widely regarded as the man who has redefined contemporary Indian music. According to a BBC estimate, he has sold over 150 million copies of his work, comprising music from more than 100 film soundtracks and albums across over half a dozen languages.
Rahman's music career began at a young age, when he assisted leading musicians in India and composed jingles and scores for popular Indian television features. He also obtained a degree in western classical music from the Trinity College of Music, London, and set up his own in-house studio called Panchathan Record-Inn in Chennai.
Rahman's breakthrough came with the 1991 film "Roja," which was a massive success and brought him nationwide fame and acclaim. The film also won him the Indian National Award for Best Music Composer, the first time ever by a debut. He went on to win the National Award three more times, the most ever by any music composer.
In 1997, Sony Music signed Rahman as its first artist in South Asia, and the result was the album "Vande Mataram," which instantly and successfully rekindled the spirit of patriotism among Indians around the world. In 2001, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber invited Rahman to compose for his musical, "Bombay Dreams," which was the first production that Sir Webber did not compose for.
Rahman's work gained global prominence with the extraordinary success of his score for "Slumdog Millionaire" in 2008, which won eight Academy Awards, including two for Rahman - Best Score and Best Song. He won over 15 awards for this score, including two Grammys, the Golden Globe, and the BAFTA.
Rahman has been conferred with honorary doctorates from several prestigious institutions, including the Trinity College of Music, Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University, Middlesex University, and Berklee College of Music. In 2009, he was featured in Time Magazine's "Time100: The Most Influential People."
Rahman has collaborated with several international artists, including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, MIA, Vanessa Mae, the Pussycat Dolls, Sarah Brightman, Dido, Hossam Ramzy, Hans Zimmer, and Akon. He has also performed live with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Babelsberg Film Orchestra, and the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his music career, Rahman has expanded his focus to newer horizons, including the establishment of the A. R. Rahman Foundation to help poor and underprivileged children. He has also announced initiatives to establish a tradition in western classical music in India and has embarked on an ambitious venture to set up the KM Music Conservatory and the KM Music Symphony Orchestra based out of Chennai, India.
Rahman's numerous awards and accolades include multiple Academy Awards, Grammys, Golden Globes, and BAFTAs. He remains one of the few mainstream artists whose works have been performed live by some of the world's most prestigious orchestras.
