Why you should listen
While he’s known in the West for scoring Slumdog Millionaire (which earned him two Oscars and two Grammys), in South Asia, film composer A.R. Rahman is a superstar. His music is featured in hundreds of movies, his recordings are among the best-selling releases in history, and his fans number in the billions.
Rahman’s film scores are an eclectic blend of Eastern classical, Western electronica and pop-culture touchstones in a musical mélange familiar to Indian film fans. But with appearances at the 2012 London Olympics and several successful global tours, his soulful music has spread far beyond the silver screen.
What others say
“No matter which styles he combines, Mr. Rahman has an ear for yearning tunes and attention-getting hooks.” — New York Times, May 29, 2015