A.R. Rahman: The Genius Who Took Indian Music Global | Nikhil Kamath | People by WTF | Ep 15

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

November 20, 2025

Duration

1h 47m

Channel

Nikhil Kamath

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

What struck me most in this conversation with AR Rahman was not his mastery but his humility. He talks openly about fear, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and why he constantly leaves comfort to evolve. We got into everything, Bombay Dreams, London, Hollywood, Oscars, classical music’s future, AI composition, spiritual surrender, and why consistency matters more than lifestyle. If you’ve ever wondered how someone stays grounded while being celebrated globally, you should watch this! Timestamps: 00:00 – Early Life, Bangalore–Chennai Roots 03:17 – Childhood Trauma, Losing His Father & Growing Up in Studios 08:25 – Mother’s Strength, Family Survival & Entering Music Young 10:30 – Playing for Composers, Jingles & Early Experiments 13:30 – Building Panchathan Studio & Mani Ratnam Discovery 24:00 – The 90s Trend Change & Redefining Indian Music 26:36 – Classical Music, Gurus & The Spiritual Side of Art 31:00 – AI, Contrarian Thinking & Beating Predictive Models 34:29 – Talent, Practice, Singing & Evolving at Any Age 40:00 – Global Work: UN, KM Conservatory & Purpose-Driven Projects 43:18 – Fame, Privacy & The Price of Being Recognised 47:15 – Creativity, Tech & DM Collaborations 53:33 – Live Experiences, Theatre & Reinventing Entertainment 56:15 – Meta Glasses & His Passion Project 1:14:12 –His Personal Headspace, Altruism & Religious Beliefs 1:29:40 – Tu Hi Re: The Making, History & Magic Behind the Song 1:35:40 – The Future of Cinema: Immersive Screens, Haptics & Sound 1:43:54 – Final Thoughts: India, Scale, News & What’s On His Mind #nikhilkamath : Co-founder of Zerodha and Gruhas Host of 'WTF is' & 'People By WTF' Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/nikhilkamathcio/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikhilkamathcio/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhilkamathcio?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nikhilkamathcio/ #arrahman : Indian musical composer and record producer Twitter - https://x.com/arrahman Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/arrahman/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/arrahman/ Threads - https://www.threads.com/@arrahman Watch 'WTF is' Podcast on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/4nsm4ezn Watch 'People by WTF' Podcast on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/yme92c59 Watch 'WTF Online' on Spotify https://tinyurl.com/4tjua4th #WTFiswithnikhilkamath #PeopleByWTF #WTFOnline

🎤 SPEAKERS

• A.R. Rahman

  guest

• Nikhil Kamath

  host

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Nikhil Kamath, featuring A.R. Rahman and Nikhil Kamath, A.R. Rahman: The Genius Who Took Indian Music Global | Nikhil Kamath | People by WTF | Ep 15 explores a.R. Rahman on craft, faith, technology, and global ambition today Rahman recounts an upbringing shaped by his father’s early death, financial instability, and a studio-centered childhood—crediting his mother’s strength and entrepreneurial grit for keeping the family afloat and pushing him into music early.

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