A.R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer and musician renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to Indian and global music, rose to fame with iconic scores such as Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se, and gained worldwide recognition for Slumdog Millionaire. In a recent podcast with Nikhil Kamath, Rahman also spoke candidly about artificial intelligence, creativity, and his personal journey.
Rahman said artificial intelligence can be a powerful tool for creative people, especially those who lack access to resources, but stressed that it should be used responsibly. “It’s a very empowering tool for younger people who don’t have the access to make a movie or make art or they don’t know how to paint but they have a vision,” he said. He emphasized ethical use, adding, “Don’t make people lose jobs. Empower people to remove the curses of generational poverty, misinformation, and lack of tools to create.”
The conversation also offered a rare glimpse into Rahman’s personal life, from his childhood in Chennai and Bangalore to becoming one of the world’s most respected music icons. He reflected on the losses he faced growing up. “Every day I used to wake up to that,” he said, referring to the deaths of his father and grandmother. He credited his mother for keeping the family together and encouraging his musical pursuits. “My mother took all the pain. She protected us from, and she was so strong that withstanding all the kind of humiliations, she single-handedly brought us up and encouraged me to go into music.”
Rahman also recalled spending his childhood in studios rather than school. “My whole childhood was with 40-year-old and 50-year-old and 60-year-old in the studio playing music. And I missed all the fun with friends and all that stuff at school. No college.”
He described Roja as the turning point in his career. “Roja changed everything.” At one point, he considered leaving films altogether. “This will be my last movie,” he said, before Mani Ratnam convinced him to continue.
On simplicity and life, Rahman said, “Always. That’s why I surrender… When I was doing Roja, I didn’t have money for even putting petrol.” On his music, he added, “Each Tamil song I do, should go around the world. And it was planned. I worked for it. That’s why I did less work… I need time to heal, I need time to listen to it, I need time to change, I need to evolve a song.”
Reflecting on faith, persistence, and creativity, Rahman said, “It made me like completely numb, it made me zen mode, it made me believe that everybody is going to die… Sincerity is very important. If I am not sincere in my music, I am not sincere to myself.”
He also offered advice for young entrepreneurs in creative industries: “Having an orchestra in every state is very important, having a world-class, changing entertainment… If you look after your family, the world will take care of itself.”
