Born in Chennai, India, Dilip Kumar (now musician A.R. Rahman) converted to Islam several years after the death of his musician father, Shekhar, and was given the name Allah Rakha Rehman.
According to Indian media, world-renowned Indian musician A.R. Rahman accepted Islam at the age of 23 and revealed in an interview given to Indian media in the year 2000 that he embraced Islam in search of a spiritual path and found immense peace in this decision.
Recently, Indian filmmaker Rajiv Menon spoke to Indian media about A.R. Rahman’s decision to convert to Islam, saying, “There was a time when he (A.R. Rahman) did not know Hindi, so I became his translator. I witnessed his transition towards faith and belief.”
Filmmaker Rajiv Menon further stated, “I even saw A.R. Rahman facing immense pressure from within his family, especially during the time of his sisters’ marriages, but music helped him withstand this storm.”
The cinematographer added, “During A.R. Rahman’s difficult times, music helped him, which he himself acknowledges, saying that music helped him forget. Furthermore, A.R. Rahman’s conversion to Islam also helped us discover Indian music and Qawwalis.”
