[Ch. 04] Six-Year-Old A.R. Rahman’s First Composition: The Birth of a Musical Prodigy

A.R. Rahman’s first music composition incident: It was April 2006, and the late Bharanikkavu Shivakumar, a lyricist, was a guest on a music program called “Amrutha TV.” As he sang “Vellithen Kinnam Pol,” he revealed that the tune was actually composed by Rahman.

This song was featured in the film “Penpada,” which was released in 1975. At the time, the music director for the film was R.K. Sekhar. He had already composed three out of the four required songs, and had taken a break.

During this break, something unexpected happened. Sekhar’s six-year-old son, Dileep, sat down at the harmonium and played some music bits. Everyone in the room was surprised by his talent, and they decided to use his composition as the movie’s soundtrack. The song was titled “Vellithen Kinnam Pol,” and it was sung by Jayachandran. The orchestration was handled by Sekhar, but the basic tune was Rahman’s.

Years later, when Rahman visited Trivandrum, Kerala for the Kairali-Swaralaya award, singer K.J. Yesudas confirmed this story and sang the song on stage. It was a poignant moment, as it reminded everyone of Rahman’s humble beginnings and the unexpected opportunity that launched his career.