New Delhi: Known for his immense body of work for film and stage, for his unmatchable range as a composer, music-maestro A.R. Rahman turned 55 on Thursday.
Born in Madras, Tamil Nadu to film-score composer R.K. Shekhar, Rahman is considered one of the most successful and iconic musicians globally.
With the unique integration of assorted styles of music in his compositions, Rahman has managed to leave a strong imprint on the whole music industry.
Rahman made his debut in the music industry in 1992 as a composer with Mani Ratnam’s ‘Roja’ and shot to instant fame.
With his impeccable journey in the music biz, the music maestro made his way to the international platform and also bagged an Academy Award for Best Original Score in 2009 for his music in the 2008 Oscar-winning movie ‘Slumdog Millionaire’.
The Indian government awarded him the Padma Bhushan, the nation’s third-highest civilian award. He has also bagged six National Film Awards, two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and several Filmfare Awards with his maverick music in the industry.
He has given melodious tracks to Bollywood movies like ‘Bombay’, ‘Dil Se’, ‘Taal’, ‘Saathiya’, ‘Guru’, ‘Jodhaa Akbar’, and many more. He has also given his music to the recently released romantic drama ‘Atrangi Re’ starring Dhanush, Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan.
On the occasion of his birthday, let’s revisit some of the iconic songs of the star.
At the time of its release, ‘Jai Ho’ was the toast of the town in almost every part of the world. It received global love from music critics, and also earned an Academy Award for Best Original Song, and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture.
It was released on the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence Day and has to date represented a feeling of patriotic unity for India and has been performed or played at several national and regional events in the country.
It is a love ballad composed in the Sufi style of music, dedicated to the memory of Pakistani qawwali singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan written at the time of the tenth anniversary of his death.
To list a few of the music maestro’s best songs is as difficult as boiling an ocean. The philanthropist’s famous songs such as ‘Tu Hi Re’, ‘Nadaan Parinde’, among several others have already set a special place in the hearts of his fans.
He had recently worked for Aanand L Rai’s romantic movie ‘Atrangi Re’. Rahman also worked on late actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s last film ‘Dil Bechara’.
His upcoming projects include movies like Ishaan Khatter’s ‘Pippa’ and Deepika Padukone’s ‘Gehraiyaan’ and more.