Rahman whose original name was Dileep is the son of music director R.K.Shekar, the malayalam music composer of the 60s and 70s who died when Rahman (then Dileep) was just 9 years old. But like MGR and P.Vasu, he too lived most of his live in Chennai. But there is no running away from the fact that Rahman too is a Malayali. Kamal, though a Tamilian, considers himself the son of Kerala too, as his formative years were spent choreographing and acting in Malayalam films.His athesim and left-leanings can be traced to this connection.
