A.R. Rahman Opens Up on Loss, Faith and the Future of Indian Music on People by WTF with Nikhil Kamath

In a deeply introspective and wide-ranging episode of People by WTF, A.R. Rahman, one of India’s most celebrated composers and global cultural icons, sits down with Nikhil Kamath for an unfiltered conversation offering a rare insight into Rahman’s worldview.

Beyond the accolades and global recognition, this episode quietly reveals Rahman’s softer, humbler, and remarkably down-to-earth self, reflecting a man driven more by sincerity and spirituality than by fame. Over a candid chat, Nikhil and A.R. Rahman discuss Rahman’s journey, spanning loss, growing into a global musical legend, faith, creativity, AI, and the future of Indian music and entertainment.

This conversation will particularly resonate with young entrepreneurs in India’s creative and live entertainment sectors, aspiring musicians balancing art, faith, and success, technology innovators exploring AI’s role in creativity, and students or professionals seeking purpose, self-belief, and reinvention. Key conversations include:

1. On Loss, Grief And Finding Solace In Music: Nikhil Kamath opens the conversation by exploring A.R. Rahman’s early years in Chennai and Bangalore, and how those experiences shaped his worldview and music.

Rahman revisits his early childhood, marked by the loss of his father, grandmother, and emotional upheaval. “Every day I used to wake up to that.” He credits his mother for anchoring him during those turbulent years and encouraging him to hone his musical skills. “My mother took all the pain. She protected us from, and she was so strong that withstanding all the kind of humiliations, she single-handedly brought us up and encouraged me to go into music.”

Working in studios from a young age, Rahman describes how the console became his classroom. “My whole childhood was with 40-year-old and 50-year-old and 60-year-old in the studio playing music. And I missed all the fun with friends and all that stuff at school. No college.”
2. Roja: The Turning Point: Nikhil turns to the moment of transformation and asks how Rahman’s journey into becoming a musical legend truly began, adding with a smile, “I am such a big fan… your song Tu Hi Re, I think I must have heard that song through so many heartbreaks and falling in love.”
Rahman reflects on Roja and how it became the defining project of his life. “Roja changed everything.” He reveals that during the film, he was actually on the verge of walking away from movies altogether. “This will be my last movie,” he remembers thinking. His instinct to step away came from a desire to remain selective and protect his creative integrity, a sensitivity shaped by watching how the industry once “consumed” his father.
He recalls telling Mani Ratnam“I am very satisfied working with you. I don’t want to work with other people. I’ll just do jingles or private albums.” Mani gently pushed back: “No, you should work with everyone.” Rahman laughs about it now, admitting that for the first ten years he still felt, “Okay, enough.”
3. Beyond Success: Living Simply: When asked if he ever felt impostor syndrome, A.R. Rahman admits, “Always. That’s why I surrender.” Recalling the early days of his career, Rahman says, “When I was doing Roja, I didn’t have money for even putting petrol.” For him, living simply isn’t a constraint but a philosophy. “Your lifestyle, even whether you have money or not, can be the same. You can travel, you can eat anywhere you want, but you don’t want to show the whole world what you are. And then it’s a fake pompousness.”
4. From Tradition to Global Sound: When asked about the change in India’s musical landscape during his rise, A.R. Rahman explains that before Roja, “There was a traditional kind of music, which is beautiful. And there’s a beauty in it still. Because I’m not made of that. My sensibility was different.” This eclectic taste made him want to move beyond the formulaic sound of the time.