While still in school, Khatija Rahman sang for the Rajinikanth-starrer Enthiran (2010) at the behest of her father, Oscar-winning musician AR Rahman. Her melodious voice struck a chord with the listeners, putting her in the spotlight. Overwhelmed by the attention, Khatija took a break from music for a few years.
But she emerged stronger, and today, she has charmed audiences worldwide with her performances. “I am glad to be back. I look forward to having soulful connections with art,” says Khatija, who recently made her debut as a composer with the Tamil film Minmini, directed by Halitha Shameem.
Khatija first got in touch with Halitha after watching her film, Sillu Karupatti. “I messaged her to say how much I liked it. Later, in 2022, she asked me if I would like to compose for her Minmini, but I felt I was not ready,” she says.
“We reconnected sometime later and the film score hadn’t happened yet. I felt more ready to do the film and she felt I would be the right fit for it. She had listened to one of my independent songs (which is yet to be released) as well and felt that the genre worked with the film’s vibe.
” Khatija started work on the film in February 2023, and devoted the following eight months to it. Coming from a family of musicians, it was natural for Khatija to take up music as a career. She began learning Carnatic music, and later Hindustani classical, when she was in Class III.
In 2019, Khatija and her sister Raheema sang for U2’s Ahimsa. “We didn’t know we were singing for U2. Our father just asked us to sing the verse from Thirukkural and we so did it,” says the 28-year-old singer-composer, who has worked with musicians such as Ricky Kej, Hesham Abdul Wahab Philips, Sami Yusuf and Sterlin Nithya.
She released her debut single Farishton in 2020, and her debut album, Kuhu Kuhu, a collection of songs originally sung by Lata Mangeshkar, in 2023. The first song from Coke Studio’s first-ever Tamil edition, Sagavaasi, for which she grooved with rapper Arivu, showed a whole new facet of the musician. “It was overwhelming as it was the first time I was jamming and in another studio,” says Khatija, who will make her international debut as a composer with Lioness, written and directed by Kajri Babbar.
Khatija now wants to work with directors who are willing to push boundaries. “In the last few months I have got a few offers,” she says, adding that she likes to incorporate sounds she hears in world music into her compositions. “In Minmini, for the song Jananam, my inspiration was Frozen.
” When she is not making music, she indulges in streetside shopping, visiting exhibitions, immersive art experiences and munching on ghee dosas and sweets. “I love playing on swings and slides,” she says, even as she champions for financial independence for women. “A few years ago, I enrolled for a course, Women On Wealth (WOW), and learned how to invest.
Financial independence is empowering, and that way love is the foundation of your relationships not money.” She is now gearing up for her performance in Delhi on August 31. “I will be performing with my own band as part of the South Side Story Festival,” she says, adding, “Going forward, I want to focus on putting out my independent songs, perhaps organising a pop-up to support home businesses and doing more shows with my band.
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