Khatija Rahman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 December 1995 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Spouse | Riyasdeen Shaik Mohamed (m. 2022) |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | A. R. Ameen (brother) Raheema Rahman (sister) [1] |
| Family | R. K. Shekhar family |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instrument |
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| Labels | |
Khatija Rahman [a] (born 29 December 1995) is a music composer and singer from Chennai, India. [2] [3] [4]
Khatija Rahman made her playback debut in the acclaimed 2010 sci-fi action film Enthiran , singing the title track in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi alongside musical legends including her father, A. R. Rahman, and S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. [5] [6] [7]
She was overwhelmed with the good response of the song and hence took a 7-year break and focused only on her studies and non profit work. She resumed training in 2018 and got back into music.
In 2019, she collaborated with the iconic Irish band U2 on their single “Ahimsa”, which emphasized the power of non-violence. She also performed the track during U2’s Joshua Tree Tour in Mumbai the same year. [8]
Khatija released her debut single, “Farishton”, in 2020. The song, composed and produced by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Munna Shaokath Ali, was a meditative invocation of solidarity and cultural harmony. [9] [10] Its music video was recognized at multiple international film festivals and received an honourable mention at the 2021 Los Angeles Film Awards. In the same year, she was a featured artist on Grammy Award-winning composer Ricky Kej’s song “Iltaja”, a track highlighting sustainability.
She continued to showcase her versatility with film songs, including “Rock A Bye Baby” from Mimi (2021) , “Tum Bhi Raahi (Reprise)” from Mili (2022) , [11] and “Kaayam” from Iravin Nizhal (2022). She also contributed vocals to Rahman’s 2022 Tamizh anthem “Moopilla Thamizhe Thaaye”, collaborating with multiple artists. [12] [13]
In 2023, Khatija released her debut album Kuhu Kuhu, a collection of melodic renditions paying tribute to the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. The all-acoustic album features the Firdaus Orchestra, an esteemed all-female ensemble from the United Arab Emirates. Its lead single, “Piya Tose”, was accompanied by a music video symbolizing global representation and collaboration. [14] She also made her debut as a music composer with the film Minmini , [15] , releasing the lead single “Iru Perum Nadhigal”, a song centered on self-love and healing. [16] That year, she further demonstrated her vocal range with songs such as “Chinnanjiru (Marumurai)” from Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023) , “Pranama Pranama” from Nayakudu (2023), and her Coke Studio Tamil single “Sagavaasi” with Arivu, which received widespread acclaim. [17]
| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Lyricist | Co-singer(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Puthiya Manidha" | Enthiran | A. R. Rahman | Vairamuthu | A. R. Rahman, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam | Tamil | [18] [19] | |
| "O Maramanishi" | Robo (dubbed-language from Enthiran) | Suddala Ashok Teja | A. R. Rahman, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Srinivas | Telugu | [20] | |||
| "O Naye Insaan" | Robot (dubbed-language from Enthiran) | Swanand Kirkire | A. R. Rahman, Srinivas | Hindi | [21] | |||
| 2021 | "Rock A Bye Baby" | Mimi | Amitabh Bhattacharya | Julia Gartha | Hindi | [22] | ||
| "Rihaayi De" | A. R. Rahman | Hindi | Backing vocals | [23] | ||||
| 2022 | "Kaayam" | Iravin Nizhal | R. Parthiban | Soundarya Bala Nandakumar, Veena Murali, Deepthi Suresh, Sowmya, Elfe Choir | Tamil | [24] [25] | ||
| "Tum Bhi Raahi (Reprise)" | Mili | Javed Akhtar | Solo | Hindi | [26] | |||
| 2023 | "Chinnanjiru (Marumurai)" | Ponniyin Selvan: II | Ilango Krishnan | A. R. Rahman | Tamil | [27] | ||
| "Minnanchula Vennelaa (Reprise)" | Ramajogayya Sastry | A. R. Rahman | Telugu | [28] | ||||
| "Mera Aasmaan Jal Gaya (Reprise)" | Gulzar | A. R. Rahman | Hindi | [29] | ||||
| "Pranama Pranama" | Nayakudu (Dubbed from Maamannan) | Rakendu Mouli | Vijay Yesudas | Telugu | [30] | |||
| "Niraye" | Philip's | Hesham Abdul Wahab | Anu Elizabeth Jose | Hesham Abdul Wahab | Malayalam | |||
| "Vizhigal Seraa" | Sangeeth Ravindran | Hesham Abdul Wahab | Malayalam | |||||
| 2024 | "Anbalane" | Lal Salaam | A. R. Rahman | Yugabharathi | Deva, Deepthi Suresh | Tamil | Backing vocals | [31] |
| "Ulagam Oru Naal" | Maidaan | Snehan | Shridhar Ramesh | Tamil | [32] | |||
| "Thaaraa Gaganamlo" | Saraswathi Putra, Ramajogayya Sastry | Sarath Santosh | Telugu | [33] | ||||
| "Maanja Nee" | Ayalaan | Sivakarthikeyan, A. R. Rahman, thoughtsfornow | A. R. Rahman, A. R. Ameen | Tamil | Backing vocals | [34] | ||
| "The Silent Sovereignty" | Ponniyin Selvan: II | Backing vocals |
| Year | Film | Song | Singer(s) | Director | Music director | Composer | Lyricist | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Thug Life | "Ave Maria" | Khatija Rahman, Adam Greig | Mani Ratnam | A. R. Rahman | Franz Schubert | Walter Scott | German | [35] |
| Year | Song | Album | Composer | Lyricist | Co-singer(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Ahimsa" | Single | U2, A. R. Rahman | Traditional | U2, A. R. Rahman | English and Tamil | [36] | |
| 2020 | "Farishton" | Single | A. R. Rahman | Munna Shaokath Ali | Urdu | [37] | ||
| 2020 | "Farishtha" | Single | A. R. Rahman | Mashook Rahman | Tamil | [38] | ||
| 2020 | "EK" | Iltaja | Ricky Kej | IP Singh, Lonnie Park, Dominic D'Cruz, Ricky Kej | Varijashree Venugopal, Manoj George, Arun Kumar, Aparna Ramakrishnan | Hindi | [39] | |
| 2020 | "The 99 Names" | Single | Sami Yusuf | Chorus | Sami Yusuf, Raihanah, Isshrathquadhre, Raheema Rahman | Arabic | [40] | |
| 2020 | "Hum Haar Nahin Maanenge" | Single | A. R. Rahman | Prasoon Joshi | A. R. Rahman, Clinton Cerejo, Mohit Chauhan, Mika Singh, Harshdeep Kaur, Jonita Gandhi, Neeti Mohan, Javed Ali, Sid Sriram, Shruti Haasan, Shashaa Tirupati, Abhay Jodhpurkar | Hindi | ||
| 2021 | "Amna Bibi" | Sing A Lullaby | Traditional | Traditional | Gurupriya Atreya, Vedanth Bharadwaj | Hindi | [41] | |
| 2022 | "Moopilla Thamizhe Thaaye" | Single | A. R. Rahman | Thamarai | A. R. Rahman, Saindhavi Prakash, A. R. Ameen, Amina Rafiq, Gabriella Sellus, Poovaiyar, Rakshita Suresh, Niranjana Ramanan, Aparna Harikumar, Nakul Abhyankar | Tamil | [42] | |
| 2023 | "Sagavaasi" | Coke Studio Tamil (Season 1) | Arivu | Arivu | Arivu | Tamil | [43] | |
| 2024 | "Woman of Power" | Single | Sterlin Nithya | Lavita Lobo | Lavita Lobo, Sterlin Nithya | English | ||
| 2025 | "Engal Thamizhe" | Indie track | Vilva | Vilva | Vilva | Tamil | ||
| 2025 | "Shukrana" | Single | Asad Khan | Raqueeb Alam | English and Urdu | Islamic devotional song | [44] |
| Year | Album | Song | Composer | Lyricist | Co-singer(s) | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kuhu Kuhu | "Piya Tose Naina Lage Re" | Sachin Dev Burman | Shailendra | Firdaus Orchestra | Hindi | [45] [46] | |
| "Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha" | Raja Mehdi Ali Khan | Madan Mohan | Firdaus Orchestra | Hindi | [47] | |||
| "O Sajana Barkha Bahar" | Salil Chowdhury | Shailendra | Firdaus Orchestra | Hindi | [48] | |||
| "Kuhu Kuhu Bole Koyalia" | P. Adinarayana Rao | Bharat Vyas | Firdaus Orchestra, Sarthak Kalyani | Hindi | [49] | |||
| "Bekas Pe Karam Keejiye" | Naushad | Shakeel Badayuni | Firdaus Orchestra | Hindi | [50] |
| Year | Film | Song | Singer(s) | Lyricist | Director | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Minmini | "Iru Perum Nadhigal" | Shakthisree Gopalan | Halitha Shameem | Halitha Shameem | Tamil | [51] [52] [53] | |
| "Minmini Nee" | Sarthak Kalyani, Sireesha Bhagavatula | [54] | ||||||
| "Uyirai" | Suryansh | [55] | ||||||
| "Jananam" | Khatija Rahman, Sireesha Bhagavatula | [56] | ||||||
| TBA | Lioness | Kajri Babbar | English | [57] [58] |
| Year | Film | Actor | Director | Producer | Writer | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 99 Songs | Edilsy Vargas | Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy | A. R. Rahman | Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, A. R. Rahman | Tamil | For Tamil version | |
| 2025 | Stardust | – | – | Pollachi Papyrus and Faraway Originals | Pankaj Singh | English | [59] |
| Title | Date | Venue | Performed song(s) | Shows | Attendance | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 | 15 December 2019 | DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai | Ahimsa | 1 | 42,590 | |
| World Children's Day Concert at Expo 2020 | 21 November 2021 | Al Wasl Plaza, Dubai | – | 1 | – | |
| Wings of Love: The AR Rahman Sufi Experience | 19 March 2023 | Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai | – | 1 | – | |
| TEDxGateway Opening Act Performance | 4 June 2023 | NCPA, Mumbai | – | 1 | – | |
| Marakkuma Nenjam Concert | 10 September 2023 | Adityaram Palace City, Chennai | – | 1 | 45,000 | |
| South Side Story | 31 August – 1 September 2024 | Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi | – | 2 | – |
Rahman has also spoken at distinguished platforms such as the UEF World Summit and TEFCON in recent years.
| Date | Conference | Theme | Organizer | Venue | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 December 2020 | UEF World Summit | Entrepreneur Success Stories | United Economic Forum (UEF) | Chennai | ||
| 22 October 2021 | TEDx Talks | Art, Diversity and Activism in the Digital Age | TedxYouth@LMGC | La Martinière Girls' College, Lucknow | [60] | |
| 1 July 2022 | TEFCON | The Impact of Soft Power in the Knowledge Economy | Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (FeTNA) | St. John's University (New York City) | ||
| 13 August 2022 | International Youth Conference | Gift of Kindness | Heartfulness, UNESCO MGIEP, AICTE | Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad | ||
| 26 May 2024 | HER Story | Empowerment and Inspiration | MediaOne TV | De Montfort University, Academic City, Dubai |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Awarded by | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Trailblazer Award | - | - | Bhumi NGO | Won | |
| 2020 | Trend Setter Award | - | - | Global Women Inspiration Awards and Conclave | Won | [61] |
| 2020 | Empowering Woman Award | - | - | One Life NGO | Won | |
| 2021 | Coastal Star Award | - | - | Rotary Club of Chennai Coastal | Won | [62] |
| 2024 | IMW Indian Award | Best Debut Music Director of the Year | Minmini | Indian Media Works | Won | [63] |
| 2024 | M. S. Viswanathan Award | Sensational Debut Award | Minmini | V4 Entertainers, Cinema Factory | Won | |
| 2024 | Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards | Best Music Composer (Songs) | Minmini | Ananda Vikatan | Nominated | [64] |
| 2025 | Devi Awards | For remarkable contributions to music and art | - | The New Indian Express | Won | [65] |
| 2025 | SIIMA | Best Music Director – Tamil | Minmini | Vibri Media | Nominated | [66] |
Khatija Rahman says the character of the song's protagonist Amal is based on herself, and the song, partly inspired by Rumi's teachings, traces Amal's longing to explore the unknown.
The song has vocals by Saindhavi Prakash, Khatija Rahman, AR Ameen, Amina Rafiq, Gabriella Sellus and Poovaiyar
Composed by Khatija Rahman, there is a level of subtlety and serenity in the lyricism
Khatija Rahman is a musician, philanthropist and future entrepreneur based in Chennai, India.
Joining these powerhouses was Khatija Rahman, who began her singing career working with her father AR Rahman.