Noted music composer A R Rahman was conferred the Life Time Achievement award by Rotary Club of Madras for his contribution to Indian music.

A man of simplicity and nobility, Rahman said, ' I still have a long way to go'.

The man who carved a niche for himself coming out with back to back hits ever since he was introduced in Mani Ratnam's Roja was at his usual best.

'If you can start playing the piano at four, you can accept a Lifetime Achievement Award at 40,' said Indra Subramanyam, President, Rotary Club of Madras, summing the musical lifespan of the genius, thus far.

A God-fearing individual, Rahman said, ' Whenever I'm confident about something, I know I am wrong. It is when I'm insecure that I produce something special.'

Rahman said he listens to music from different genres, from The Carpenters to M S Vishwanathan and compositions of Kannadasan and Naushad.

The music genius added that he did a lot of research for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ and didn't use any of it in the end.

'I wasn't looking to recreate a ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ or to better the compositions of Khayyam or Naushad. I wanted to do something that hadn't been heard before.'

The award ceremony also included a documentary which featured some of the biggest names from the Tamil film industry showering praises on Rahman. Special mention was also made on Rahman, the human being.

K Balachander, Mani Rathnam and Kamal Haasan among others spoke on the audio-visual highlighting the contributions of Rahman.

Watch A R Rahman Honored