[Ch. 01] R.K. Sekhar Master – The Unsung Melody Behind A.R. Rahman’s Musical Legacy

“I’ve spent all my life playing second fiddle. It is only through my son that I can hope to win someday”. This was the remark of the late R.K. Sekhar, musician, and father of today’s musical phenomenon A.R. Rahman.

Dileep’s father R. Kulasekhar or R.K. Sekhar, as he preferred to call himself, was originally native of a place called Kizhanoor near Thiravalloor in the Tamil Nadu State of India. Being the son of Rajagopala Bhagavathar, a reputed Harikatha exponent in South India, Sekhar had his music in his genes.

He had picked up the nuances of Carnatic Music from V Dakshinamorrthy and had started serving as his assistant music director. Sekhar had the musical mettle to make it big and because of this borne talent, he got a chance to work as the lieutenant of many prominent music directors in the south, to name a few Devarajan, Salil Chowdhary, and V Daksinamoorthy.

Sekhar master’s talent was even noticed by famous S D Burman in those times and reportedly the latter had also invited him to arrange music for his assignment. At the age of 31, Sekhar master got married to Kasthuri, who was 17 then. Their marriage took place in Tirupathy, the abode of Lord Venkateshwara at Andhra Pradesh, State of India.

After the marriage, the couples settled down in Mylapore, Chennai. They were blessed with 3 daughters and a son. Kanchana, Dileep, Bala, and Israth. Sekhar Master would be very busy, but still, he was very fond of Dileep. Dileep’s early memories are off into the studio with his father. Dileep’s first inspiration is his father.

Sekhar was a workaholic musician, who used to go to seven – eight places for work each day. Famous Tamil film musician, Ilayaraja used to play the combo organ for background music recording sessions with Sekhar Master at the age of 17. Many talented people including singer Yesudas were introduced to Malayalam film music by Sekhar. According to many musicians who were Sekhar Masters contemporaries, he had a facile hand on the harmonium, and an extraordinary musical sensibility and capacity for work.

But though his day never came. The handful of Malayalam movies he scored music for, fell by the wayside. Endless hours of rehearsals, re-recordings, and song recordings mostly fuelled with tea and dry bun – took their toll on Sekhars health, and he was bedridden with stomach-related maladies.

The man who literally lived in the recording studios spent his last days shifting between different hospitals. His assistants used to come to the hospital bed for the musical score. At 42, Sekhar was fighting death before succumbing in 1976. Destiny couldn’t see the happiness of this family, and he unexpectedly passed away in the same year, following a mysterious stomach ache, on the same evening when his first movie as an independent music director had been released.

Rumors were spread that Master was the victim of black magic by his rivals. He passed away at the young age of 42. Dileep was just 9 when he lost his father. His only distinct memories of his father are confined to an ailing patient in the hospital.

Those were tempestuous days for the young Dileep and his family. The years that led to Sekhars premature and painful passing and those that followed it were the purgatory that the boy progressed through. In the course of time, the catharsis swept away the old ways of thinking and brought in the new faith. Rahman was born!

Father R.K. Sekhar and son A.R. Rahman shared the same seven notes. But the colors have changed and so has the world. Rahman attributes all the fame that has come his way to God. That surely includes his father. But fame if no fame, father and son have more things than music in common.

Sekhar was described by a contemporary of his as the jackfruit type. Ask the musicians who play for Rahman. They will swear by God that his sweetness extends from his manner and deportment to the payment that he makes.”