SOME HIDDEN FACTS ABOUT ARRJI

• Nine-year-old Dileep Kumar a.k.a A R Rahman slept late, played carrom and hated waking up at 7 a.m to practice at the piano!

• Asked to leave school due to lack of attendance, he quit studies at the age of 15.

• When Rahman’s sister fell seriously ill in 1988, Pir Qadri, who cured her, advised the family to convert to Islam and they did!

• Dileep had a choice of seven names during his conversion. He chose Allah Rakha Rahman.

• Call it a filmi coincidence, his name was Dileep Kumar before he converted to Islam and his wife’s name is Saira Bano!

• His nickname is Isai Puyal.

• Rahman is closest to his mother Kasturi who converted to Kareema Begum.

• A true believer, he offers namaaz five times a day.

• Is superstitious about starting work according to the prayer time in the place of worship close to his heart!

• The maestro loves eating rasam-rice. When busy, he eats lunch at 5 p.m and dinner after midnight!

• Rahman lives in a small two-storey bungalow in Kodambakkam.

• He has three kids Khatija (13), Rahima (10), and son Ameen (5).

• His mother spotted Saira at a dargah and sent a marriage proposal right away!

• Saira Banu is the sister-in-law of Tamil actor Rahman and the daughter of a Chennai-based businessman from Kutch.

• The musician's wife likes to “dress him up” for important occasions; he is mostly dressed in black.

• Rahman loves to shop for music records at the Virgin Records store in New York. Once he landed in NY at 2 a.m and dashed off to the store.

• In Chennai, Rahman takes his family and friends to a Thai joint located behind The Park Sheraton.

• Rahman's long-time associate drummer Shivamani once cooked fish curry for him in London while he was working on Bombay Dreams. Rahman loved it. He's a non-veg but has suddenly stopped eating prawns.

• His Man Friday Swamidurai, fondly called Swami, has been with him since the begining of his career.

• As a bachelor, he used to often use the abbreviation LFA, which stood for ‘Love Failures Association’!

• Rahman usually sees his children off to school before he sleeps after working nights!

• He does not let his wife or children inside the studio when he’s working.

• Khatija doesn’t like her dad signing autographs in school and has asked him not to come there.

• Rahman’s son shares his birthday with him.

• The old keyboard that he used to play as a teenager is still displayed in his studio.

• A master with instruments, he likes dismantling parts and assembling them.

• A good mimic, he loves to imitate lyricist Vairamuthu, who in turn mimics Rahman’s style of walking!

• Rahman usually works in the night but he’s made an exception for SP Balasubramaniam whose songs have all been recorded before 10 pm.

• He likes listening to songs based on the raaga Sindhu Bhairavi.

• When Subhash Ghai once told Rahman during the music of Taal that he would once win an Oscar, Rahman laughed and reply that Indians can’t.

• Jai Ho was initially composed for Yuvvraaj!

INTRO TO ARRJI

Full Name: Allah Rakha Rahman.

Original Name: A. Sekhar Dileep Kumar.

Pet Names: Indian Mozart, Madras Mozart, 'Isai Puyal' (Musical Storm).

Date of Birth: Thursday, 6th of January, 1966.

Birth Place: Chennai.

Born and Brought up in: Chennai.

Religion: Islam

Languages known: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, English and Hindi.

School: PSBB, MCCHSS and various Schools

Family Details:

Father: Late RK Sekhar, Malayalam music composer. Passed away in 1976.

Mother: Kasturi Sekhar (Now Kareema Begum), House wife

Siblings: 3 Sisters. Kanchana, Bala(Talath), Israth. Famous South Indian Malayali actor Rahman is A.R.Rahman's brother-in-law.

Wife: Saira Banu (Arranged Marriage

, 1995, Chennai)

Daughters: Kathija, Raheema.

Son: Roomi.