Unplugged: A R Rahman

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

His music is everywhere; but his personal life lies ensconced within the walls of his two-storey bungalow in Kodambakkam!
We try to dig out lesser-known facts about the fiercely private musician AR Rahman.

• 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!

Source: here