Daily Times

Indian music maestro AR Rahman revealed that his mother gave her jewellery to be pledged, to buy him his first musical instrument.

With his ground-breaking music and international collaborations, several hit music albums to his credits along with top national and international honours including Oscars, BAFTA, Grammy, Golden Globes, Filmfare, IIFA and National Film Awards, AR Rahman is a force to be reckoned with.

However, the maestro has an equally inspiring story that led to his musical journey and his conquering of the world.

In a new conversation with Netflix India and the musical team of ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’, Imtiaz Ali, Mohit Chauhan and Irshad Kamil, celebrating the success of their latest work, Rahman disclosed that he never went to college and felt like missing out on a lot at that time. “My boredom led me to listen to many other things, to explore what was there on the other side. That side was spectacular for me. There was so much out there,” he shared.

Further recalling the struggling phase, the veteran continued to divulge, “When I built my studio, I didn’t have money to buy an amplifier or equaliser. There was just an AC with a shelf and carpet. I used to be sitting there not having money to buy anything. I built this and was sitting inside with no equipment.”

“My first recorder came after my mom gave her jewels to be pledged. That is when I felt empowered. I could see my future, that one moment I changed,” Rahman added.

It is pertinent to note that AR Rahman’s mother Kareema Begum passed away in December 2020.