AR Rahman...

Yesterday while browsing through the communities in ORKUT, I came across a comment about the Mozart of Madras – AR RAHMAN. The comment was a new music director who has hardly 10 to 15 movies under his belt has overcome the achievements made by AR Rahman( What a crap??? ). I was really shocked when I read this line. I know even people who are reading this blog too would be shocked. The funnier part is that the music director only composes music for Tamil movies and not for any other language.

Let me give you a small information about AR Rahman’s career…

Allah Rakha Rahman (born on January 6, 1966 as A.S. Dileep Kumar in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India) is a hugely popular Indian film composer. He made his debut in 1992 with Mani Ratnam's Tamil movie, Roja (Rose), which was subsequently dubbed into many languages. Yodha marked his debut in Malayalam, also in 1992 and Ram Gopal Verma's Rangeela (Colorful) (1995) was the first Hindi movie to have Rahman as the music director. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri, which is one of India's highest civilian national honors.

From Time.com :

In 2002, enlightenment struck again. I saw — heard, rather — the West End show Bombay Dreams. Like Chess, it had music by a composer who had written (and sometimes performed) dozens of pop hits. Indeed, A.R. Rahman is not just India’s most prominent movie songwriter — in a land of a billion people where movie music truly is popular music — but, by some computations, the best-selling recording artist in history. His scores have sold more albums than Elvis or the Beatles or all the Jacksons: perhaps 150 million, maybe more.

Rahman received more international attention with this article in the TIME magazine. Rahman's first movie album Roja was listed in TIME magazine's TOP 10 Movie Soundtracks of all time; source. According to BBC Rahman is reported to have sold 100 million records world-wide.

In 2000, Rahman's annual income was estimated to be around $4 million (Rs.180 million) from worldwide endorsements and royalties dating back to Roja (1992). According to Rediff.com, rights for his Tamil album Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000) were sold for an astonishing record sum of Rs.22 million. This record, for Tamil cinema, still remains unbeaten six years hence.

In addition to influencing western audiences, Rahman also impressed eastern audiences with his music so much that he was tapped by Chinese director He Ping to provide music for the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven and Earth in 2003 IMDB. The music of this film was very much appreciated in Asia and in India.

On May 23rd 2006, a two-disc album soundtrack, titled Introducing A.R. Rahman, was released by Times Square Records, featuring 25 songs he composed from Tamil film soundtracks spanning 1993-2001. The compillation soundtrack was very well received upon release.

On July 16th, 2006, Rahman performed to a sell-out crowd at the 26000+ capacity natural amphitheatre, Hollywood Bowl along with noted Indian artists such as Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, and Sadhana Sargam, as well as American performing groups Raagapella and Global Rhythms. This was the first time that a world music performance at the Hollywood Bowl was sold-out completely.

The soundtrack of Spike Lee's Inside Man (2006), features the song Chaiyya Chaiyya from the Hindi film Dil Se, directed by Mani Ratnam.

The soundtrack of Nicolas Cage's Lord Of War (2005), features the instrumental piece "Bombay Theme" from the Tamil film Bombay, directed by Mani Ratnam.


A.R. Rahman has won the following awards:

National Film Awards (India)
1993 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Roja
1997 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Minsaara Kanavu
2002 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Lagaan
2003 - National Film Award for Best Music Direction - Kannathil Muthamittal

Filmfare Awards (India)
1995 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Rangeela
1998 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Dil Se
1999 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Taal
2001 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Lagaan
2002 - Filmfare Best Music Director Award - Saathiya
2002 - Filmfare Best Background Score - The Legend of Bhagat Singh
2004 - Filmfare Best Background Score - Swades

Zee Cine Awards (India)
2000 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Taal
2002 - Zee Cine Award Best Music Director - Lagaan
9 South Indian Filmfare Awards
6 Times Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

A.R. Rahman has been nominated for the following awards:

Laurence Olivier Awards (UK)
2003 - Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best New Musical - Bombay Dreams

Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Canada)
2006 - General Theatre Division - Outstanding Musical Direction - The Lord of the Rings musical

Artists claimed to have sold 100 million records or more :
.
AC/DC Australia 70s-00s Hard Rock
Aerosmith U.S. 70s-00s Hard Rock
A. R. Rahman India 90s-00s Classic (Soundtracks)
Barbra Streisand U.S. 60s-00s Vocal/Pop
Barry White U.S. 70s-00s Pop/R&B
The Beach Boys U.S. 60s-90s Pop/Surf Rock
The Bee Gees Isle of Man/Australia 60s-00s Pop/Disco
Billy Joel U.S. 70s-00s Piano Rock
Bon Jovi U.S. 80s-00s Rock
Brenda Lee U.S. 50s-60s Pop/Country
The Carpenters U.S. 60s-80s Pop
Céline Dion Canada 80s-00s Pop
Charles Aznavour France 50s-00s Pop
Cher U.S. 60s-00s Pop/Rock/Disco/Dance
Chicago U.S. 60s-00s Pop
Creedence Clearwater Revival U.S. 60s-70s Pop/Rock
David Bowie UK 60s-00s Rock/Pop
Deep Purple UK 60s-00s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Dionne Warwick U.S. 60s-00s Pop/R&B
Dolly Parton U.S. 60s-00s Country/Pop
Donna Summer U.S. 70s-00s Disco/Pop
Duane Eddy U.S. 50s-80s Rock
Eagles U.S. 70s-00s Rock
Engelbert Humperdinck UK 60s-00s Pop
Fats Domino U.S. 40s-00s Rock/R&B
Fleetwood Mac UK/U.S. 60s-00s Rock
Frankie Laine U.S. 40s-00s Jazz/Pop/Gospel/Country
Garth Brooks U.S. 80s-00s Country
Gene Autry U.S. 20s-90s Country
Genesis UK 70s-00s Progressive Rock / Pop Rock
The Jacksons U.S. 60s-80s Pop/R&B/Disco/Rock/Soul
John Denver U.S. 60s-00s Folk/Rock
Johnny Hallyday France 50s-00s Pop
Johnny Mathis U.S. 50s-00s Pop (Traditional)
Joni James U.S. 50s-60s Pop (Traditional)
Kenny Rogers U.S. 50s-00s Country
Lionel Richie U.S. 80s-00s R&B
Luciano Pavarotti Italy 60s-00s Opera
Mariah Carey U.S. 90s-00s Pop/R&B
Mireille Mathieu France 60s-00s Pop
Modern Talking Germany 80s-00s Pop/Dance
Neil Diamond U.S. 60s-80s Pop
Patti Page U.S. 40s-00s Pop/Country
Perry Como U.S. 30s-00s Pop
Phil Collins UK 80s-00s Soft Rock
Pink Floyd UK 60s-00s Psychedelic Rock/Progressive Rock
Prince U.S 70s-00s Pop/R&B/Funk/Soul/Rock
Ricky Nelson U.S. 50s-80s Pop/Country
Rod Stewart UK 60s-00s Pop/Rock
The Rolling Stones UK 60s-00s Rock
The Royal Canadians Canada 30s-50s Pop (Big Band)
Stevie Wonder U.S. 60s-00s Pop/R&B
Status Quo UK 60s-00s Hard Rock/Blues
Tommy James U.S. 60s-00s Rock
U2 Ireland 70s-00s Rock
Vicky Leandros Greece 60s-00s Pop
Wei Wei China 80s-00s Pop
Whitney Houston U.S. 80s-00s Pop/R&B/Gospel/Soul
The Who UK 60s-00s Hard Rock


Now I don’t think I need to give anything more than this to prove AR RAHMAN is a living legend not only India but even across the boundary.