Singer, musician, activist, and philanthropist Khatija Rahman – born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India on December 29, 1995 – is the daughter of A. R. Rahman, one of India’s most famous Bollywood composers and music directors. Khatija Rahman began her playback career in 2010 when she sang “Puthiya Mandidha” (from the film Enthiran) in several different languages including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. She came to international prominence in 2019 when she collaborated with U2 on their single “Ahimsa.” When the group brought their Joshua Tree tour to Mumbai later that year, she performed the track live with them. As an advocate for women and an activist for several causes, she has released noteworthy singles including “Farishton” (2020) - co-written by her father – which promoted solidarity and cultural harmony. Once again, the song brought her international attention as did her vocals for “Iltaja,” a song written by environmentalist and Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej. Khatija Rahman has also been the featured playback singer on several more of her father’s compositions including “Rock A Bye Baby” (from 2021’s Mimi), “Kaayam” (from 2022’s Iravin Nizhal), “Tum Bhi Raahi (Reprise)” (from 2022’s Mili), and “Chinnanjiru (Marumurai)” (from 2023’s Ponniyin Selvan: II).
