When AR Rahman’s Mother Got Overwhelmed After Hearing His Work For Roja

AR Rahman is one of the most sought-after music directors today. He always manages to put soul into each of his creations. The Oscar-award-winning music director started working at the age of 11 to support his family after his father passed away. When Rahman finally started his career as a music composer, he somehow gathered money to rent a studio space, but due to financial issues and lack of funds, the young musician was unable to buy the required equipment. It was his late mother, Kareema Begum who helped him during his struggling days.

In a video released by O2 India where AR Rahman talked about his struggle in those days. The music director’s mother gave him money to buy his first mixer and recorder. You will be surprised that the equipment was used to record the music of his first film, Roja. When his mother listened to the composition of Roja’s ‘Chinna Chinna Asai’, it brought tears to her eyes. When she was asked in the interview why, AR Rahman’s mother simply responded by saying that it was his (AR Rahman) first composition for a feature film and she was overwhelmed.

She even revealed that as a young boy, Rahman used to improve his father’s composition. It is worth mentioning that Rahman’s father RK Shekar was also a music composer. “He used to listen to his father’s music and tried to play the same music. At times, he even changed the tune. His father used to wonder how a small child could change the tune. Later, he would use the tune revised by his son," his mother said.

Named A S Dileep Kumar before getting converted, his father died when he was just 9. Speaking with the same portal, Rahman recalled how his father’s death affected him. He said that he still remembers cremating his father. “Setting him on fire. I was as young as nine. And that’s one imagery in my life that never goes off. That memory still haunts me. But, it makes me understand life better because it all happened at very early stages of my life. It has given me something a normal kid could never have had," he added.

AR Rahman has a string of interesting projects in his kitty, he has Maidaan, Pippa, Laal Salaam, Ayalaan, Gandhi Talks, Aadujeevitham, Chamkila, Tere Ishk Mein and an untitled project with Mani Ratnam and Kamal Haasan.