Articles - Stories | Rahman Unplugged – Some Interesting Facts!

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  • 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!
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courtesy : Timesofindia.com