By Srijony Das Last Updated:
AR Rahman is an icon of our country who simply doesn’t require an introduction. The music maestro, with decades of work and endless accolades to his name, has manifested a never-seen-before change in the music industry of our country, with some of the most fresh and challenging tracks ever. A six-time national award winner, AR Rahman made his first step towards music at the age of four, and studied to play the piano. He made his debut in 1992 with the film, Roja.
In a recent interview with Film Companion, AR Rahman recalled a very special anecdote about his mother and revealed how she believed that her son’s special awards like that of the Oscar and Golden Globe to be made of real gold. As a result, she used to preserve them nicely by wrapping them in towels. AR Rahman expressed how after his mother’s demise, he found them all his awards nicely preserved in her room, and then decided to give them away to a studio in Dubai. In his words:
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“I have kept the international awards in Dubai because it was wrapped in a towel… my mom wrapped it in a towel. She thought it was gold. So after she passed away, I went to her room, took them out and I gave it to the Dubai Firdaus studio. It’s in the Firdaus studio in a nice showcase.”
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Earlier, while speaking to Netflix India, AR Rahman narrated how during the initial years of his career, he didn’t have enough resources buy any musical equipment for his studio. However, it was only after his mother pledged away all her jewellery and bought the first recorder for him with the money, that he was able to move ahead with his studio. He said:
“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.”
In another of his older interviews with O2 India, AR Rahman reminisced his childhood and revealed how at the age of 11, his mother asked him to discontinue schooling, for the benefit of the family. While the talented singer wasn’t really good in studies either, nonetheless, his mother wanted to save that money behind his schooling to run the family.
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Speaking further in the same interview, AR Rahman summed up about how his childhood wasn’t the same like any other kid, as he wasn’t even privileged enough to go out and play sports. Adding how began working at the age of 11, he said:
“My childhood was not a normal one. I was a bit secluded. I mainly lived in hospitals with my father getting treatment. And at the age of 11 or 12, I started working. I didn’t have the privilege of going out or playing sports. But, I had personal time, which I spent mostly with music. Which in a way was a blessing.”
What do you think about AR Rahman’s revelations?
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