A. R. Rahman Quotes

"Success comes to those who dedicate everything to their passion in life. To be successful, it is also very important to be humble and never let fame or money travel to your head."

"Each one of us has our own evolution of life, and each one of us goes through different tests which are unique and challenging. But certain things are common. And we do learn things from each other's experience. On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination."

"I believe that whatever comes at a particular time is a blessing from God."

"When you do something with a lot of honesty, appetite and commitment, the input reflects in the output."

"Your inner voice is the voice of divinity. To hear it, we need to be in solitude, even in crowded places."

"I don't want to expose my personal life. It's best that people know me for my work. My family doesn't want to be surrounded by cameras. We want to live like any other family."

"I was a common man, and I will always remain a common man. No amount of stardom will ever consume my soul. Money comes, money goes. Fame comes, fame goes. I believe every human being is a celebrity in their own right."

"I grew up on Bach and Beethoven, and now I'm listening to more modern composers who I can't even name. But since I'm constantly doing music, it's difficult to have that quality time to listen to music and do classical stuff."

"I am a friend when I need to be a friend, a father when I need to be a father, a musician when music calls. I switch roles accordingly."

"If you respect a language and culture, it shows in your work."

"My mother insisted that I pursue music. I rented out my father's musical equipment and earned some money. As a child, I wasn't sure about a career goal, but I was always fascinated by electronic gadgets, specially musical equipment."

"The idea of music is to liberate the listener and lead him to a frame where he feels he is elevated."

"Wisdom comes from within. Knowledge is acquired and can sometimes put a screen on your wisdom."

"Sometimes, a remix is good because it reaches a whole new generation. But when it gets too much, it's irritating. Also, the original composer needs to be credited properly."

"I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my CDs?' And the process of answering these questions through music follows. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it backfires."

"It's true that I love to connect with my fans on the social networking sites, but I try not to go overboard, ever. I just give people a peek into my mind space, but never bombard them with my tweets."

"It's like driving your car. If you drive too fast on the highway, you will topple, so you better maintain your speed. Life is similar to that, and that's the way you have to control your head."

"I am the kind of person who does not like to carry baggage. In fact, I don't go back and listen to my own music. I believe in closing chapters and moving forward. That's what gives me peace."

"Beautiful film music can be made relevant to any period."

"I feel blessed and humbled that people have loved my music. Nothing would be possible without their acceptance."

"While my mother wanted me to be a musician, I wanted to become an electronic engineer."

"The more I compose, the more I know that I don't know it all. I think it's a good way to start. If you think you know it all, the work becomes a repetition of what you've already done. I try to make sure that I don't repeat my music."

"If there is no criticism, you become lazy. But it should be constructive, and it should be the truth. If it's biased and there's no truth in it, then I don't care about it. If it's true, it helps me grow."

"For me, there is no day or night for music. I often work through the night - without phone calls disturbing me."

"I have too many responsibilities and principles. There's no time for 'guilty' pleasures."

"A musician is a professional, whether he or she is successful or not. The profession itself must be regarded as a stable job."

"My kids miss me when I'm away, but I don't mind living out of a suitcase. The U.K., U.S., France, Germany, Iraq... it's such a thrill meeting people of different cultures, learning about and from them. It's changed my perception about life, humanity and spirituality."

"So long as you do it truthfully, music is not to be judged."

"I was famous from the age of 13, and after a while you become immune to it - in a good way. You look at positives and what you can do with it."

"I basically love classical music. I love a lot of musicians playing together and the whole culture of that, whether it's Indian or it's Western."