A. R. Rahman was born on January 6, 1966, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He began his music career at a young age, composing music for films and advertisements. His breakthrough came with the Tamil film "Rose Island" (1992), followed by "Bombay" (1995), which earned him critical acclaim.

Before Rahman, synthesizers and drum machines were viewed with suspicion by film composers. Rahman, trained in the Carnatic tradition under the legendary dharmavati and also well-versed in Hindustani music, Western classical, and rock, saw technology as a liberating instrument, not a crutch. His debut in Mani Ratnam’s Roja was a thunderclap. The song “Chinna Chinna Aasai” was a minimalist marvel—a breathy, intimate vocal set against a warm, bubbling synth pad and a gentle rhythm. It sounded like a private diary entry, not a theatrical announcement. Conversely, “Rukkumani Rukkumani” was a riotous fusion of tribal drums, thumping bass, and folk vocals, predicting the world-music boom by several years.

Rahman has released several albums and collaborated with artists from around the world, including:

Rahman’s films are not merely collections of hit songs; they are symphonic arguments. His career can be understood as a three-act odyssey: first, the revolutionary who democratized technology; second, the spiritual poet who elevated the mass-market film; and third, the global ambassador who translated the Indian film sensibility for the world.