For the first time ever, AR Rahman opens up about his children and thanks his mother and wife for the role they've played in shaping his remarkable life.
http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_i-want-my-children-to-write-their-own-destiny-rahman_1303400 Mumbai: With the success came the spotlight and though India's top music composer AR Rahman says winning international acclaim with two Oscars and a Golden Globe has added pressure to be more media savvy, he prefers to let his work do the talking. Rahman revealed that it is his conscious decision to remain out of the media glare as he doesn't want his children -- Khadijah, Rahima and Aameen -- to feel like they're living in a glass bowl. "I want to give my children a normal childhood. I want them to grow up without any pressure of how well they should perform because their dad is so-and-so. I want them to write their own destiny. All this media attention is because of the work that I'm thankfully getting and doing, but I'm consciously trying to keep it all away from my personal life," said Rahman in an exclusive interview to DNA. "I don't want to expose my personal space to the camera just because people want to know more about it. They can know me for my work -- that's my identity. My children can get their own spotlight once they write their own destiny with their own hands. They don't need to share mine. They are young and should focus on becoming what they want to. I don't want to distract them." The Mozart of Madras also shared his feelings about his reclusive wife Saira Banu, who was last seen when he took her with him to Los Angeles for the Oscars. "She is a pillar of strength for me. She doesn't want to share my limelight and is content raising our children and looking after the family. My work has increased over the years and I thank her for being there to look after my mother, my children and me. Without her, I wouldn't have been able to involve myself so single-mindedly in my profession. I was at peace as I knew she was handling everything with ease," he says. It is a known fact that Rahman is a dedicated son to his mother Kareema and the soft-spoken musician says he's beholden for the spiritual strength she has imbibed in him."My mother is the spiritual head of our family. She is the guiding light for all of us and the energy behind our family's growth. She raised me with great patience and hardship. I wouldn't be me without my mother. Whatever attributes I have in me -- and the world has seen it -- is because she has blessed me with them," he says. The Chiggy Wiggy composer whose act with Kylie Minogue has gone on to become a rage says Indians winning awards overseas has made the West look towards our country as a storehouse of talent -- and many more such collaborations are waiting to happen. "It is a time of great synergy between the West and the East. We have to show them how brilliant India is by sticking to our roots. It won't surprise me if India takes center-stage in Hollywood in the years to come," signs off Rahman. Rahman fever His Music ~ My Mother Tongue Yahoo! India has a new look. Take a sneak peek http://in.yahoo.com/trynew
