Like Sachin Tendulkar, he represents the aspirations and energy of a young India. Slumdog's music composer may be less rooted in tradition than his precessors, but he is our first rock star

Many say Rahman's music for Slumdog Millionaire is "noisy but nice". That phrase could come in handy when you look at his oeuvre as a whole, and try to put in perspective what he has come to represent to his fans in India.