‘My father and mother were pushed out of home by …’ AR Rahman opens up about childhood hardships

A R Rahman has often spoken about the hardships that shaped him, but in a recent conversation on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast, the composer opened up in rare depth about the pain, loss and resilience that defined his early years. Reflecting on his childhood in Chennai, Rahman said he grew up “in the belly of the beast” near Kodambakkam, surrounded by the very studio culture that would one day make him a global icon.

He recalled how his father, composer R K Shekhar, worked relentlessly to support the family. That dedication, however, came at a devastating cost. “My father and mother were pushed out of their home by his own family. He started from scratch, living in a rented place and working day and night—three jobs at a time—to build a life for us. That pressure destroyed his health. That was the dark side of my childhood,” Rahman said, adding that the trauma stayed with him for years.

His father’s sudden death left his mother to raise four children alone. Rahman described her as the anchor who held the family together through grief and instability. “I was nine when I lost my father and grandmother. Trauma was something I saw every day. My mother was a single parent, a very confident woman who absorbed all the pain to protect us. She endured humiliations and hardships, yet she stood strong and brought us up on her own,” he said.

Rahman revealed that it was his mother who recognised his musical calling and pushed him towards it. But that meant trading a conventional childhood for long hours inside studios, surrounded by seasoned musicians rather than school friends. “My mother chose music for me and encouraged me wholeheartedly. Growing up with three sisters, I always felt I had to be disciplined. My childhood was spent with 40- and 50-year-old musicians. I missed school fun, I never went to college. I missed a lot, but I learnt from incredibly intelligent people,” he reflected.

From that difficult beginning emerged one of India’s most celebrated artists. Since his breakthrough in Roja in 1992, A R Rahman has created some of the country’s most iconic soundtracks and earned global recognition, including five Academy Award nominations and two Oscar wins.