PEOPLE magazine's latest issue explores the musician's amazing journey with the help of his mother Kareema Begum -- who offers a glimpse of the genius at work -- his friends, and of course, from the man himself. We present the story here.

On January 11, as Kareema Begum watched her son, the prolific Allah Rakha Rahman, walk up to the stage inside The Beverly Hilton Hotel, California, and accept his first-ever Golden Globe for Best Original Score for a motion picture, tears streamed down her face.

The rest of Rahman's family including sister, A R Rehana, who caught the live telecast at his Chennai residence, tried pacifying her but the moment was too emotional for her to stop. "My son looked so tall, holding his award among all those foreigners," says Kareema, clearly moved by Rahman's achievement.

If a Golden Globe win had this effect, imagine the impact of an Oscar victory for her son. It now seems a real possibility after he snagged three Academy Award nominations for Slumdog Millionaire on January 22.

Besides receiving a nomination for the Best Original Score, he has been nominated in the Best Original Song category for 'O... Saya' and 'Jai Ho'. Even as the accolades started pouring in, the man at the centre of the jubilation was typically self-effacing. "It was really unexpected and we all are very surprised," Rahman said in an interview to CNN-IBN. "I have received so many SMSes from all over the country. Thank you so much for your love and prayers."

Before the international recognition, Rahman has long enjoyed a reputation as a quiet musical genius among contemporaries and critics in India. Since he burst onto the mainstream with the soundtrack to Mani Ratnam's Tamil film Roja in 1993, Rahman has composed for nearly 110 films including southern hits like Bombay, Thiruda Thiruda, Gentleman, Rakshasudu, Kannathil Muthumittal, Minsara Kanavu, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Sivaji and Hindi blockbusters like Rangeela, Taal, Dil Se, Lagaan, Jodhaa Akbar and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na.

In 2002, Rahman collaborated with British producer Andrew Lloyd Webber for the West End musical Bombay Dreams, announcing his presence on the international scene.

Combining diverse genres and arrangements, Rahman is the consummate artist constantly experimenting with new sounds and challenging the boundaries of music with his creations. As filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who worked with Rahman on Taal, Kisna and Yuvvraaj, describes him: "Rahman has been restlessly in search of excellence since the time he started making music."

Text: Kalyani Krishna with Lakshmi Sankaran | Inputs by Sandipan Dalal/ PEOPLE magazine

Download ringtones and wallpapers

Also Read: Showcasing Slumdog Millionaire

Next