A.R Rahman turns 45!

6th January marks a very special day in the history of the Indian Musical Industry. Few decades back a Composer, Record Producer, Musician and Singer was born to not only to intrigue us with his melodies but to leave a mark on the world! He was named Allah Rakha Rahman (A. S. Dileep Kumar). He's none other than the person with immense talent who made Bollywood a household name all over the world, A. R. Rahman. We observe his 45th Birthday on 6th January 2011. We wish the musical maestro a blessed life with the hopes that he will continue to succeed and make not only his family, but every Indian extremely proud!

A man from humble beginnings, Rahman went on to obtain a degree in Western Classical Music from the Trinity College of Music, London. He then decided to set-up his own in-house studio called Panchathan Record Inn in Chennai, which has become one of Asia's most technologically advanced music studios. He has also been conferred with honorary doctorates from the Trinity College of Music (London), Aligarh Muslim University, Anna University (Chennai) and the Middlesex University, London.

Rahman has been a part of over 150 million records and soundtracks for our very own Bollywood. He has also done various international projects, with his music featuring in movies such as The Lord of War, Inside Man and The Accidental Husband. In 2005, he was stated as the 'India's Most Prominent Movie Song Writer" by the Time Magazine. His composition, Bombay Theme holds the distinction of being featured in over 50 international compilations. He also scored the music for the Hollywood productions Elizabeth - The Golden Age, the phenomenally successful Slumdog Millionaire, Couples Retreat and the Chinese movie, Warriors of Heaven and Earth produced by Sony Pictures.

His work is usually a fusion of some of the best technical musical instruments with an intuitive blend of Eastern Classical Music and electronic orchestra. Time magazine has also named him as the "Mozart of Madras" and a Tamil society even gave him a nickname Isai Puyal which means 'Music Storm'. In 2009, Time magazine slated Rahman in its list of World's Most Influential People.

As mentioned earlier, Rahman has given music for numerous Bollywood movies and the music became the talk of the town. Some of his most famous and critically acclaimed work includes Roja, Bombay, Dil Se, Taal, Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar, Delhi 6, etc. And how can we forget the cultural phenomenon Slumdog Millionaire, which not only got him an Oscar but made him a well known name in the West as well. His remix of Jai Ho! featuring the Pussycat Dolls also became extremely popular in the US. With all the commercial success, Rahman has also received much critical acclaim. Some awards to his credit are: 14 Filmfare Awards, 11 Filmfare Awards South, 4 National Film Awards, 2 Academy Awards (Oscar Awards), 2 Grammy Awards, 1 BAFTA Award, 1 Golden Globe Award, etc. Rahman has also been honored with the 'Padma Bhushan' in 2010 and 'Padma Shri' in 2000, two of India's highest national civilian honors, recognizing his contribution to music. Though 2010 saw many achievements coming Rahman's way, it also was witness to one of his biggest works in the much anticipated Commonwealth Games anthem Swagatham.

Even after all the success, Rahman has always had a humble attitude and a focus on helping the underprivileged. He set up the A. R. Rahman Foundation to help poor and neglected children. To help his foundation, he donated all proceeds from the sales of his first ever English single, Pray For Me Brother (2007). Currently, he also serves as the UN Ambassador for the Millennium Development Goals, which focus on ending global poverty by the year 2015. Rahman has also set up the KM Music Conservatory and the KM Music Symphony Orchestra in Chennai to institute western classical music in India. He also plans to use his music label KM Musiq to launch non-mainstream musicians and artists.

Currently, in Bollywood, Rahman is working on the music for numerous movies including 'Rockstar', 'Paani' and '1-800-LOVE'. Apparently, he is also collaborating on an international venture with Dave Stewart.

We, at BollyCurry, wish the musical maestro the best of luck and hope 2011 turns out to be as fruitful a year for him as 2010!

Copyright  BollyCurry

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