The interview which appears below was originally published in Nasreen Munni Kabir's book, A.R. Rahman: The Spirit of Music. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.
NMK: Tell me about your children.
A.R. Rahman: Khatija is the eldest. Then there’s Raheema and my son Ameen who happens to have been born on 6 January [2003], the same day as me.
It embarrasses my daughter Khatija when a fan stops us on the street and asks me for an autograph. She has even discouraged me from coming to her school. So I can’t attend any PTA meetings. [laughs]
Khatija is fifteen now. She likes singing Lataji’s songs, especially “O sajna barkhaa bahaar aayi” [from Parakh, 1960]. She used to be very shy. She has a beautiful voice. I hear her practicing alone at night—she’s very good. Saira dreams that Khatija will become a singer one day. In fact, she sang the song “Pudhiya manidha” in Shankar’s Enthiran [Robot, 2010] with the talented S.P. Balasubramaniam and me.
Raheema is now learning how to play the piano. I don’t know if she’s really interested in music. I don’t want to force my children into it. Saira and I prefer they make their own choices. But we don’t want them to get spoilt. Media attention does spoil things.
My son Ameen sang the song “Na Na” in Couples Retreat [2009]. It was more like a jam session. We recorded it on a laptop. Ameen doesn’t practice much and is constantly at the computer. He’s been crying and kicking his legs about: “I want an iPad!” [laughs]
NMK: Isn’t the iPad you have in your hand for Ameen?
A.R. Rahman: This is Daddy’s! He wants his own. I’ll get him one.
NMK: You’re away from home a lot. Is that a problem for your children?
A.R. Rahman: They’re getting used to it. It’s difficult when I go abroad and have to say goodbye. Before I have to leave Chennai, I keep a slight distance from them for a day or two. Otherwise it breaks your heart when they say: “No, please, don’t go.” But they’re quite busy. They have their school and friends.
NMK: Do you see your personality in them?
A.R. Rahman: Absolutely. They are a mix of Saira and me. My daughters pick up things from my wife.
The children want to be around when I’m working in my studio. They have fun and play about. They’re bright and intelligent like most kids today. What’s more important is that they learn the things we believe in, the values we believe in, for instance, the importance of charity and spirituality.
NMK: Your children have a very different childhood from yours.
A.R. Rahman: Yes. When I take my kids on holiday, I film them so in the future they can’t complain to me saying Dad didn’t spend any time with them and take them anywhere. “See? I took you to all these places—Disneyland, here and there.” [both laugh]
NMK: Have any of your children inspired your music?
A.R. Rahman: My son Ameen was playing near me when I was working on a tune for Guru. But I decided not to use it. A week later, I heard him singing: “Na na na na re.” I thought to myself: “Ah, he likes it.” I worked on the song and used that line as a hook in “Barso re.”
Children are the best judges. They don’t care who composes a song, even if it is their father. If they don’t like it, they just don’t.
