Advertisement

Updated November 4th, 2018 at 18:39 IST

Here's why AR Rahman changed his name from Dileep Kumar

The composer revealed a lot about his struggling days as he launched his biography 'Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman'. He also spoke about the time when he wanted to end his life and how this feeling persisted for a while

Reported by: Digital Desk
| Image:self
Advertisement

AR Rahman has been universally accepted as one of the finest music composers in the world of show business. However, life has not always been a bed of roses for the Mozart of Madras. The composer revealed a lot about his struggling days as he launched his biography 'Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of AR Rahman'. Initially known as Dileep Kumar, he disclosed why he changed his name as he said, "I never liked my original name Dileep Kumar. I don't even know why I hated it. I felt it didn't match my personality. I wanted to become another person. I wanted to get rid of all the past luggage." He eventually took up Sufi Islam along with entire family and rechristened himself as AR Rahman. 

Read | BIG REVELATION: AR Rahman Wasn't Danny Boyle's First Choice For Slumdog Millionaire. Here's Who Was

Shockingly, he also spoke about the time when he wanted to end his life and how this feeling persisted for a while as he said, "Up until 25, I used to think about suicide. Most of us feel we are not good enough. Because I lost my father, there was this void." His father, RK Shekar, who was a composer himself, passed away when he was only nine, which pushed the maestro to take up music at a very early age. However, the tide did turn around for the brilliant musician and he went on to win two Academy Awards for 'Slumdog Millionaire', as well as a host of others across industries.

Read | 'Shocked' AR Rahman Issues Detailed Statement On #MeToo And States A Commitment. Read It Here

Rahman also shared the secret for his prolonged success, which is the fact that he likes to keep things interesting. "You feel jaded if you do the same thing. You need to find different things to do. For me travelling, parenting and spending time with my family though I can't do that much is beautiful. It helps a lot." The music composer has recently worked on Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar's magnum opus '2.0' with many other big projects in the works. On a side note, Rahman had also made headlines when he spoke in the wake of Me Too movement in which Tamil film industry's Vairamuthu was accused. Expressing his shock, the maestro had hoped that this will lead to clean working environments eventually. 

Advertisement

Published November 4th, 2018 at 17:44 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo