The 70th National Awards were announced today for films released in 2022 and Oscar-winner AR Rahman’s name featured in the prestigious list. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Director (Background Score) for his work in Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan - Part 1, which had become a blockbuster in 2022.

This award gives AR Rahman a record seven National Awards, the most any music director has won in India. Isaignani Ilaiyraaja comes a close second having won five National Awards for music, the last being in 2015 for the Tamil film Tharai Thappattai. Hindi music director Vishal Baradwaj stands third in this list with four and Jaidev with three.

AR Rahman made his official entry into Tamil films as music director with Mani Ratnam’s Roja in 1992 and there in began his spectacular journey. He won his first National Award for best Music for Roja followed by Minsara Kanavu in 1996. He had already started scoring music in numerous languages by the year 2000 and it was not surprising when he bagged the National Award for the Hindi film Lagaan in 2001. He immediately followed it up with another win for Mani Ratnam’s Kannathil Muthamittal in 2002.

Post 2002, Rahman won numerous awards around the world including Golden Globes, Critics Choice Movie Awards and the Oscars for his work in world cinema on films like Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours. He made a name for himself internationally while he continued to work in Indian cinema but it was only after 15 years that he made a mark once again at the National Awards with a win for both Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai and the Hindi film Mom starring Sridevi. And with the National Award for Ponniyin Selvan 1, Rahman has cemented his place in Indian history and in the history of cinema as the music director with the most wins.

The Mani Ratnam Factor

One of the most significant aspects about Rahman’s music when he came into Tamil cinema was his uncanny ability to reinvent Tamil music. He worked out of a small studio when he started and the new sounds he created fascinated ace director Mani Ratnam who signed him on for Roja in 1992. Mani Ratnam and AR Rahman, who is called the Mozart of Madras, are considered one of the most successful and greatest director-composer duo of our time.

Mani Ratnam had told Deadline in an interview, “And he (Rahman) played something he’d recorded for a jingle, and the sound was just unbelievable. It was something that I’d never heard before in such a small studio. But it wasn’t the conventional tools or the conventional form that he was using, so we worked with him for a few months to see if he could fit the story…to see if he could do what we required in terms of six songs and the background score.” According to the Ponniyin Selvan director, every film with Rahman was a special journey and he brought ‘newness to each project, new sound and new music’.

This was the start of a deep bond between Mani Ratnam and Rahman which continues to this day and evolves with every film. In fact, looking at the list of National Awards Rahman has won, one can see that four of them were for Mani Ratnam films. In turn, the Lagaan music director considers Ratnam as a brother and mentor who has been with him over the last 32 years.

The USP of ARR’s music

When Rahman came out with the Roja album, it was like a breath of fresh air that took everyone - from the young and old alike - by surprise. The new compositions, melodies and use of new sounds was something totally unexpected, that the Tamil film audience couldn’t get enough of it. His beautiful, soulful combination of Indian and Western sounds and elements was a turning point in Tamil film music (and possibly in Indian music) and it became his signature for decades to come. The Slumdog Millionaire music director played around with sounds combining Broadway-style orchestrations, jazz, pop, Sufi and reggae and other world music with Indian sounds to compose unique songs for Indian films.

From Madras, Rahman has performed around the world and worked with some of the best in Hollywood and international cinema and beyond. The Oscar-winner summed up his philosophy in life and music when he gave this advice to aspiring musicians. Rahman stated, “Don’t let other people put you down, just believe in yourself, pursue your passion and one day you will surprise the world. Also, while it is fine to get inspired by someone, find what is charming in your personality, develop it. Then everybody will come to you because no one else can be you.” And truly, there's no one who can replace AR Rahman and his music.