Mani Ratnam’s nephew to pen Rahman’s biography

It’s a dream gig for any upcoming writer and 24-year-old Krishna Trilok is the lucky one to get the opportunity. He is the nephew of director Mani Ratnam (who shares a close bond with Rahman) and published his debut fantasy novel Sharikrida earlier this year. Now for his second book, he has become the official biographer of the Mozart of Madras AR Rahman.

“Rahman sir is almost a part of our family, and I’ve grown up hearing stories about him – charming tales that haven’t been heard outside his inner circle. Though two earlier books have been written about him, they aren’t biographies. Currently, he is at an important cusp in his career – where he is becoming so much more than a music composer – especially with his film 99 Songs, slated to release next year. So I wrote to him suggesting the idea, and we decided to proceed,” Krishna said.

What followed was seven months of hanging out with the composer, shadowing him everywhere, extended conversations over meals, said the young writer. “I wanted to go behind the scenes as much as possible – and discover Rahman the man, over the icon he is,” he said.

The book, which is slated for a mid-2018 release, is expected to be around 400 pages, and will be launched before the release of 99 Songs.