'Slumdog Millionaire' composer A. R. Rahman Guest of Honour at WSA2025

“I am filled with gratitude to be recognized at the prestigious World Soundtrack Awards. I am excited to hear my compositions performed by the incredible musicians of the Brussels Philharmonic under the direction of Dirk Brossé." - A.R. Rahman

A.R. Rahman – A Musical Journey



A.R. Rahman was born as Dileep Kumar Rajagopala in Madras (now Chennai) into a musical household. His father, R.K. Shekhar, was a Tamil musician who composed scores for the Tamil and Malayalam film industries. Rahman began playing the piano at the age of four and later assisted his father in the studio by playing the keyboard. After his father passed, he began playing the piano professionally at age eleven to support his family. Rahman dropped out of school, but his professional experience led to a scholarship to study at Trinity College, Oxford, where he earned a degree in Western classical music.



In 1988, under the name of A.R. Rahman, began his career writing jingles for commercials. He composed over 300 jingles, an experience that taught him how to convey a message or mood in a very short time. In 1991, while attending a ceremony to receive an award for his work on a coffee advertisement, Rahman met Bollywood film director Mani Ratnam, who persuaded him to compose music for motion pictures. Their first collaboration was Roja (1992), which resulted in Rahman’s first major film soundtrack hit. His fusion of classical Indian music with contemporary sounds left a lasting impression, earning him acclaim throughout India and worldwide. The album was included in Time Magazine’s 10 Best Soundtracks of all time.

Bringing Bombay to Broadway



The success of Roja launched Rahman’s film composing career. He opened his own recording and mixing studio, Panchathan Record Inn, in his backyard. It quickly became the most advanced recording studio in India, attracting more directors to work with him. He also maintained a prolific collaboration with Mani Ratnam, scoring films such as Thiruda Thiruda (1993), Bombay (1995), and Dil Se .. (1998).



British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, impressed by some of Rahman’s soundtracks, asked if he would be interested in composing a stage musical. Working with lyricist Don Black, Rahman composed the score for Bombay Dreams, a colourful satire of Bollywood films. The show opened in London’s West End in 2002, followed by a Broadway version of the show which opened in 2004.



From Bollywood to Hollywood



An international breakthrough in film was inevitable for Rahman. He contributed a song to the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s Inside Man (2006) and scored his first Hollywood film, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) starring Cate Blanchett and directed by fellow Indian Shekhar Kapur. However, the real breakthrough came with Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. After director Danny Boyle heard Rahman’s score for Taal (1999), he knew immediately that Rahman was the perfect composer for his new film. While developing his approach for the movie, Rahman wanted to mix traditional Indian music with modern sounds, but he also said that the story wasn’t solely about India or its culture. Rather, it was a universally recognisable story. This fusion resulted in a vibrant score that combined Indian music with hip-hop, R&B, and house music.



Slumdog Millionaire became a global phenomenon, both as a box-office success and a critical triumph. The film and its score dominated the 2009 awards season. At the Academy Awards, Rahman won two Oscars: one for Best Original Score and another for Best Original Song for “Jai Ho”, while another of his songs “O… Saya” from the same score was nominated. In addition, Rahman won a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, two Grammys, while “Jai Ho” won Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film at the 2009 World Soundtrack Awards. Rahman’s collaboration with Boyle continued with 127 Hours (2010), starring James Franco, for which Rahman was again nominated for two Oscars.



Practical & tickets



This year’s World Soundtrack Awards Film Music Days will be held from 14-16 October 2025. The World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony & Concert - where Indian composer A.R. Rahman and British composer Debbie Wiseman will be honoured - will take place at Muziekcentrum de Bijloke in Ghent on 15 October 2025. Tickets are now available at filmfestgent.be and worldsoundtrackawards.com.