A.R. Rahman Recalls Family Hardships
Music composer A.R. Rahman recently shared deeply personal memories of his childhood, revealing that his parents were once forced onto the streets by his father’s family. He said his father, R.K. Shekhar, worked three jobs simultaneously to secure a rented home for the family, but those years took a heavy toll on his health.
Loss And Transformation
Rahman lost his father at the age of nine and later watched his mother, Kareema Begum, shoulder the responsibilities of raising four children. He described this period as “the dark side of my childhood,” saying that the trauma of instability and early loss informed both his upbringing and his creative journey in music.
Origins And Rise To Success
Born and raised in Chennai-Kodambakkam—the heart of the Tamil film industry—Rahman often accompanied his father to studio sessions. That exposure laid the groundwork for his own breakthrough in film music. Today, he’s recognised globally as an Oscar and Grammy-winning composer, but his recent commentary shows that his artistic emergence was shaped by profound early adversity.
Resilience And Artistic Identity
Despite the hardships, Rahman emphasises that his mother’s resilience and his father’s dedication remain central to his identity. The experience of watching his father juggle multiple jobs and struggle with ill health motivated Rahman’s drive for excellence and a desire to give voice to human emotions through music.
