Early Life, Family Loss and Studio Childhood

A.R. Rahman recounts his childhood in Chennai, his father's studio work, his father's death at nine, and living in studios.

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Episode notes

What struck me most in this conversation with AR Rahman was not his mastery but his humility. He talks openly about fear, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and why he constantly leaves comfort to evolve.

We got into everything, Bombay Dreams, London, Hollywood, Oscars, classical music’s future, AI composition, spiritual surrender, and why consistency matters more than lifestyle.

If you’ve ever wondered how someone stays grounded while being celebrated globally, you should watch this!

Timestamps:

00:00 – Early Life, Bangalore–Chennai Roots

03:17 – Childhood Trauma, Losing His Father & Growing Up in Studios

08:25 – Mother’s Strength, Family Survival & Entering Music Young

10:30 – Playing for Composers, Jingles & Early Experiments

13:30 – Building Panchathan Studio & Mani Ratnam Discovery

24:00 – The 90s Trend Change & Redefining Indian Music

26:36 – Classical Music, Gurus & The Spiritual Side of Art

31:00 – AI, Contrarian Thinking & Beating Predictive Models

34:29 – Talent, Practice, Singing & Evolving at Any Age

40:00 – Global Work: UN, KM Conservatory & Purpose-Driven Projects