Lasting brilliance of AR Rahman’s hits from the 90's

There's no doubt that AR Rahman is a musical genius. Rahman, regarded as one of the greatest Indian musicians of all time, entered the music world in the early 1990s, and his dominance as a music composer grew exponentially with each passing year. 

 Known for giving captivating background scores for blockbuster movies like 'Roja', 'Bombay', 'Taal', 'Lagaan', 'Swades', and Rang De Basanti' to name a few, Rahman is also a highly-loved singer who has sung the iconic song, 'Vande Mataram'.

While Rahman's musical talents range from Bollywood to the South, the musical genius has left his mark on the world stage, making India proud with his melodic tunes and compelling voice. As the maestro celebrates his birthday today, we look back at some of his most memorable singles from the 1990s.

Tu hi re

The slow and soul-stirring number song 'Tu hi re' from the 1995 award-winning film 'Bombay' is one of the most soothing songs ever written.

Dil Se

The songs of Dil Se, like Rahman's previous musical landmarks, flow out of the soundtrack in epic proportions. Dil Se has no highs and lows, no dips and crescendos.

Ramta Jogi

As "Taal" completed its two decades of its release in Bollywood, actor Anil Kapoor once admitted that A R Rahman’s musical piece ‘Ramta jogi’ takes him back to the unforgettable music and extravaganza of the movie.

Jiya Jale

Gulzar once stated that Jiya Jale was Lataji Mangeshkar's first collaboration with AR Rahman. Rahman had grown up knowing the legend of Lata Mangeshkar, and the fact that he had not recorded a single song with her prior to 'Jiya Jale' intrigued him.

Hai Rama yeh kya Hua

This song is simply divine, with a semi-classical tune and Hariharan's silky husky voice paired with shy-sounding Late singer swarnalatha's singing. Try listening to the fantastic lyrics and music with your eyes closed!