His birth name was A. S. Dileep Kumar, later changed to Allah Rakha Rahman after embracing Islam.
He lost his father, composer R. K. Shekhar, at a young age, which pushed him to work in music studios to support his family.
Rahman is a multi-instrumentalist, skilled in piano, harmonium, guitar, drums, and synthesizer.
He runs the Sunshine Orchestra, a project to train underprivileged children in music.
He composed the background score for several international films, including Elizabeth: The Golden Age and 127 Hours.
Rahman is deeply spiritual and often begins his concerts with prayers.