When A R Rahman stood on the stage at the 2009 Academy Awards, holding his first Oscar for ‘Slumdog Millionaire‘, the world was swept by his humility and reverence. Along with thanking God, Rahman movingly dedicated the honor to his mother, Kareema Begum (born Kashturi Shekhar before her conversion to Islam). It was a moment that revealed the deep bond between the maestro and the woman who shaped his destiny.
Born on January 6, 1967, Rahman lost his father, the noted South Indian composer and arranger R.K. Shekhar, when he was just nine years old. The responsibility of raising the family fell on his mother. With little means to survive, she began renting out her late husband’s collection of musical instruments to make ends meet. Life was difficult, but she never lost faith in her son’s musical instincts.
At a time when well-wishers advised her to sell off the instruments and push Rahman into a conventional career path, Kareema Begum held her ground. She encouraged him to pursue music instead of further studies after Class XI, guiding him into Carnatic training. Her unwavering belief bore fruit when Rahman earned a scholarship from Trinity College, London, where he trained in Western classical music.
Her influence extended beyond music. A firm believer in astrology, she once consulted an astrologer in Chennai when her son was about to debut as a composer with Mani Ratnam’s Roja (1992). Until then, he was known as Dileep Kumar. On the astrologer’s advice, his name was changed to A.R. Rahman — a name that would soon resonate across the globe. In fact, the audio company had initially prepared credits under his old name but changed them at the last moment.
The magic of Roja marked the arrival of a genius. From that point onward, there was no looking back. To Rahman, after God, it is his mother who remains his guiding force and his greatest source of inspiration.
