'My Muslim name was given by a Hindu astrologer': How Dilip Kumar became AR Rahman

Legendary Indian composer AR Rahman was not always known by that name. Born Dilip Kumar in Chennai in 1967, Rahman revealed that he never liked his birth name — though, as he clarifies, "It's no disrespect to the great actor Dilip Kumar! It just never matched my own sense of identity."

At the age of 23, Rahman and his family embraced Islam, marking a major spiritual turning point in his life. Over the years, he has often spoken about how deeply his faith and mysticism influence his music.

In Nasreen Munni Kabir's biography "A.R. Rahman: The Spirit of Music," Rahman shared a remarkable story — that his Muslim name was, in fact, suggested by a Hindu astrologer.

"To be honest, I never liked my old name," Rahman said. "Before I began my journey into Sufism, we once visited an astrologer to read my younger sister's horoscope — my mother was trying to arrange her marriage. At that time, I was already thinking about changing my name. The astrologer looked at me and said, 'This boy has a very magnetic aura.'"

The astrologer then proposed two names — "Abdul Rahman" and "Abdul Rahim" — and asked him to choose. "I immediately loved the name 'Rahman'," he recalled. "So yes, my Muslim name was given by a Hindu astrologer. Later, my mother added 'Allah Rakha' — meaning 'protected by God.' That's how I became A.R. Rahman."

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Meanwhile, Rahman is currently working on "Tere Ishq Mein," reuniting with director Aanand L Rai after Raanjhanaa and Atrangi Re. His major upcoming project is Nitesh Tiwari's "Ramayana," for which he will collaborate with Hans Zimmer — marking the first-ever joint composition between the two Oscar-winning maestros.