The Genius Next Door: Jeya Simmons Shares His Memories of A.R. Rahman and His Family

It’s not every day that you get to live next to a world-renowned music genius, but for Jeya Simmons, that was the reality from 1992 to 1998. In this story, Jeya shares their fond memories of living near A.R. Rahman and his family and reflects on the special bond that they formed during this time. Read on to learn more about Jeya’s personal memory.

“In these days of joy and ecstasy, I would like to share the fond remembrances and a picture of A.R. Rahman, his mother and sister Rekha, and my family taken when we enjoyed the warmth and love of neighbors. I knew that I could never get such close proximity to the genius.

The day Roja’s audio was released, I, as a fan, knew that his compositions were different from contemporary music. I used to tell everyone that the time had come for the reversal of trends and for Tamil music talent to percolate in the north and go global. We enjoyed the neighborhood from 1992 to 1998. We never wished to leave the place as we had become family friends. But leaving was inevitable as a tenant.

I still remember the love and affection of his mother by calling me and my wife [Jayanthi, standing extreme right] as ‘son and daughter’. She made special meals marking various celebrations.

My daughter Kimmy Diana [small girl, standing] is working as a software engineer and my son Kenny Robert [seated] is studying medicine. Incidentally, he played with GV Prakash Kumar, when they were children. We would call him Prakku fondly. I am sure with his hard work and style, Prakku will also reach the pinnacle of success”

Jeya Simmons’ memories of living near A.R. Rahman and his family highlight the importance of the relationships and connections we have with those around us.

Do you have a personal experience with A.R. Rahman that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it. Send your story to story@rahmaniac.com. Don’t worry about formatting or length – we’ll take care of that for you.