Recommended Free Tools
R.K. Shekhar was a South Indian film-music composer, arranger and conductor, best known today as the father of A.R. Rahman. He worked mainly in Malayalam cinema, with accounts also describing work in Tamil films. The “Mozart of Madras” is Rahman’s sobriquet—not Shekhar’s. The distinction matters: Shekhar built a busy working career of his own, while Rahman later became internationally renowned.
Who was R.K. Shekhar?
Shekhar was a musician whose work extended well beyond composing songs. An excerpt from Krishna Trilok’s authorized biography of Rahman says Shekhar learned harmonium from a paternal uncle, performed Carnatic music in Mylapore, and entered film work after composer V. Dakshinamoorthy heard him play in 1959. The excerpt gives his name as Rajagopala Kulashekhara Shekhar and his birth date as 7 November 1933; other records differ on dates and spellings, so those details are best treated as that source’s account.
Rahman remembered his father as a hard-working musician. In a 2001 interview, he said, “My father, R.K. Sekhar, was a very hard-working man,” and described him as coming from a middle-class family who mainly worked in Malayalam movies. Rahman’s 2001 interview offers a son’s recollection rather than a complete career record.
What did Shekhar do in film music?
Composer, arranger and conductor
Shekhar composed for films, but accounts of his career also emphasize the practical work behind recordings. The Scroll excerpt describes him taking a composer’s tune, assigning notes to orchestra members, preparing parts and instruments, and rehearsing musicians before recording. He also assisted other South Indian composers. That combination of composing and arranging helps explain why a composer-only credit list would not capture the full scope of his work.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
The same excerpt says Shekhar’s career began in 1964, that he composed for 24 films, and that he worked on more than 100 films overall. Those are figures reported in the 2018 biography excerpt, not settled totals: film database listings contain conflicting counts, and later coverage has used different numbers. They should not be read as a definitive tally.
A demanding recording schedule
Rahman recalled that his father could be involved in seven or eight recordings in a day. A 2016 Filmfare interview also attributes to Rahman a recollection that Shekhar worked across seven projects at once. These accounts convey the pace Rahman remembered, but they are not independently audited workload records.
Interest in electronic instruments
The Scroll excerpt describes Shekhar as an early adopter of electronic instruments in South Indian music, saying he brought equipment from abroad, mainly Singapore, and bought a keyboard with his earnings. In a 1996 interview, Rahman recalled his father acquiring a synthesizer from Singapore. The “early adopter” description is the biography excerpt’s characterization, rather than an independently verified first-ever claim.
What did A.R. Rahman say about his father?
Rahman’s interviews describe both his father’s work and its place in his own childhood. In 2001, Rahman said Shekhar died when he was nine. In a 1996 interview, he recalled being four or five when his father acquired new synthesizer equipment, and said the family rented out the instruments after Shekhar died to make ends meet. Rahman also said he began learning guitar and keyboards at eleven. These are Rahman’s personal recollections, not a substitute for a full account of the family’s circumstances.
Rank #3
Rahman’s elder sister Raihanah, quoted in the authorized-biography excerpt, said: “Rahman always talks about how talented [our father] was and how much he would have grown if he had some more time.” Rahman himself reflected, “Maybe it’s the result of everything my dad did, all of his hard work, that I’m enjoying now.” The comments express how the family remembers Shekhar’s talent and influence; they do not make the two musicians’ careers interchangeable.
For a longer account of Rahman’s life and family, Scroll’s 2018 feature is an edited excerpt from Krishna Trilok’s Notes of a Dream: The Authorized Biography of A.R. Rahman. Read the excerpt at Scroll.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was R.K. Shekhar “the Mozart of Madras”?
No. “The Mozart of Madras” is a sobriquet used for A.R. Rahman. TIME applied the phrase to Rahman in a 2004 profile; it is not a title for his father. Shekhar’s own legacy is that of a working film musician—composer, arranger and conductor—whose career was cut short and whose son later became famous around the world.
Exact dates for Shekhar’s birth and death, as well as film-work totals, vary across available accounts. The sources support describing his career and Rahman’s memories of him, but they do not establish one definitive set of dates or credits.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
