Episode
A.R. Rahman: The Genius Who Took Indian Music Global | Nikhil Kamath | People by WTF | Ep 15
- Podcast
- People by WTF
- Published
- Nov 21, 2025
- Duration seconds
- 6472
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Summary
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_s…