A.R. Rahman's Meteoric Rise: Conversion, 'Roja' & Oscar Triumph

• A.R. Rahman, born Dileep Kumar, faced childhood hardship after his composer father R.K. Shekhar's death at age 9.
• Embraced Islam at 20, changing his name, which brought spiritual depth to his music.
• Rose to fame with Mani Ratnam's 'Roja' (1992) from his home studio, revolutionizing Indian music.
• Achieved global recognition with 'Jai Ho' from 'Slumdog Millionaire', becoming the first Indian to win 2 Oscars in one year.
• Honored with multiple Grammys, National Awards, Filmfare, and India's Padma Bhushan.

Why It Matters: A.R. Rahman's journey from adversity and religious conversion to global musical icon is inspiring.