After winning two oscar awards for the movie Slumdog Millionaire, A R Rahman has become a global star. Till now, he has won four National Film Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe two Academy Awards and 24 filmfare awards. He is the only Indian who has won two Oscars. Time Magazine has referred to him as the “Mozart of Madras”. He is also one of the world’s all-time top selling recording artists. I am also a big fan of Rahman’s music. Some of his successful movies, where he has worked as a music director, are Roja, Bombay, Rangeela, Dil Se, Taal, Takshak, Pukar, Lagaan, Saathiya, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Guru, Jodhaa Akbar, Slumdog Millionaire etc.

In 1992, Rahman started his own music recording and mixing studio in the backyard of his house. The studio was given the name “Panchathan Record Inn”. Later it became India’s one of the most advanced recording studios. He initially composed music jingles for advertisements, Indian Television channels and music scores in documentaries. In 1992, he was approached by film director Mani Ratnam to compose the score and soundtrack for Ratnam’s Tamil film Roja. So Mani Ratnam’s Roja was Rahman’s first film as a music director.

Roja’s soundtrack is among the “10 Best Soundtracks” of all time listed by TIME magazine, issued in 2005. The soundtrack features score and 6 songs composed by A. R. Rahman. This soundtrack was revolutionary as it changed the face of Tamil Film music in 1992, announcing the arrival of A R Rahman as a potent force in the Indian music industry. He used many instruments and grand arrangements to generate an epic sound to the songs. His soundtracks gained him recognition in the Tamil Nadu film industry and across the world for his stylistic versatility in his pieces including in Western classical, Carnatic, Tamil traditional/folk, jazz, reggae and rock music.

Soon he started getting offers from Bollywood also. His first hindi film was Rangeela whose music was super hit at that time. The success of Rangeela was followed by Dil Se, Taal, Laagan, Swades, Rang De Basanti, Guru, Jodhaa Akbar etc. Yesterday he got filmfare award for Jodhaa Akbar.

The Australian director Baz Luhrmann says

“I had come to the music of A. R. Rahman through the emotional and haunting score of Bombay and the wit and celebration of Lagaan. But the more of AR’s music I encountered the more I was to be amazed at the sheer diversity of styles: from swinging brass bands to triumphant anthems; from joyous pop to West-End musicals. Whatever the style, A. R. Rahman’s music always possesses a profound sense of humanity and spirit, qualities that inspire me the most.”