Did you know? AR Rahman's mom kept his awards wrapped in a towel for THIS hilarious reason

AR Rahman

While a few use their Oscar statuettes as doorstoppers, AR Rahman can't do that even if he wishes to because his mother wouldn't allow him. Rahman, in one of his interviews, opened up and shared how his mother used to keep his awards wrapped in a towel because she thought those awards were made of real gold. It was only after Kareema Begum passed away that Rahman went to her room and took them out. He also shared that currently, those awards are in a showcase at the Firdaus studio.

AR Rahman's mom kept his awards wrapped in a towel

In an interview with Film Companion, the legendary music composer revealed that his mother stored all his international awards and said, "I have kept the international awards in Dubai because it was wrapped in a towel… my mom wrapped it in a towel. She thought it was gold. So after she passed away, I went to her room, took them out, and I gave it to the Dubai Firdaus studio. It's in the Firdaus studio in a nice showcase." He won two Oscars, two Grammys, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe for Danny Boyle's 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire.

Rahman has six National Awards along with his international honors. The composer keeps his Indian awards in a special room in his hometown. While talking about it, he shared, "Some of them haven't come to me. I think some of the directors have kept them like a souvenir."

AR Rahman on struggling days

While talking about how his mother became his strength during his struggling days, Rahman revealed in a chat with Netflix India, "When I built my studio, I didn't have money to buy an amplifier or equalizer. There was just an AC with a shelf and carpet. I used to be sitting there not having money to buy anything. I built this and was sitting inside with no equipment. My first recorder came after my mom gave her jewels to be pledged. That is when I felt empowered. I could see my future, that one moment changed everything." Kareema Begum died in 2020.

More about AR Rahman

AR Rahman was recently in the news when he announced his separation from his wife, Saira Banu. While it has been largely reported that AR Rahman and Saira Banu have divorced, official statements mention that the two have separated. Saira's lawyer, Vandana Shah, shared an official statement on her behalf, saying, "After many years of marriage, Mrs. Saira has made the difficult decision to separate from her husband, Mr. A. R. Rahman. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship. Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and difficulties have created an insurmountable gap between them, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time."