When he started his career in the early 1990s, music maestro Alla Rakha Rahman wouldn't have thought his popularity will skyrocket to such an extent that budding as well as established musicians alike would swear by his name nearly two decades on.

Rahman, who turned 43 Tuesday, is an inspiration for many. For instance, acclaimed singer Sukhwinder Singh gives the credit of his success to the composer.

"Rahman has been a catalyst in my success because when everyone turned me down and ridiculed my song 'Thaiyan thaiyan', he was the only one to believe in me. With a few changes in lyrics, he gave me my first big success in the form of 'Chaiyyan chaiyyan', " Sukhwinder told in an interview.

With 11 Filmfare Awards to his credit, Rahman has achieved the status of legend in the lives of upcoming singers who dream to work with the composer, at least once.

"Rahman can easily be termed as the living legend in Bollywood. He is one of the few people who made Indian music popular internationally. It will be a dream come true if I get an opportunity to work with him, " said Abhijeet Sawant, who won the first season of musical reality show "Indian Idol".

Said Harshit Saxena, runner-up of "Amul Star Voice of India": "Rahman always does an excellent job. Everybody has a dream to work with him, and being a great fan of his, I possess the same."

The musician got his first big break in Mani Ratnam's "Roja" and later Rahman composed for many films in the south. The film was dubbed in Hindi and the songs like "Dil hai chota sa", came as a whiff of fresh air for music lovers who wanted more from this musical genius.

Rahman's first full-fledged Bollywood project was Ram Gopal Varma's hit "Rangeela". Most of the songs, including "Tanha Tanha" and "Hai Rama" and "Yaaro sun lo Zara", were chartbusters. After that there was no looking back for him.

Later, Rahman became a name to reckon with through his soulful compositions in "Dil Se...", "1947 Earth", "Taal", "Lagaan", "Guru", "Rang De Basanti", "Jodhaa Akbar" and the recently released "Ghajini".

Rahman not only won hearts in India, but also made a mark on the global music scene. In 2001, Andrew Lloyd Webber invited Rahman to compose music for Broadway musical "Bombay Dreams", which won him immense international fame. He also composed for the stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord Of The Rings" that premiered in Canada in 2006 and in London in 2007.

Winner of numerous prestigious awards, Rahman has recently been nominated for the Golden Globe Awards for his score in "Slumdog Millionaire".

So what is in Rahman's music that clicks so well with audiences the world over?

"Rahman's music spells magic. We actually wait for his albums. You can see his soul, hard work and dedication in his songs. He never compromises with his style, which is so distinct, " shared Prajakta Shukre, a finalist of "Indian Idol 1", who is currently singing for regional films.

Abhijeet Sawant added: "Rahman has never gone with formula music and is on a different level altogether. A calm and soft individual, he has a very different vision. His music is never dictated by popular demand. He always experiments and that is what people like about him."

With his upcoming projects "Delhi-6" and "Blue", Rahman's fans will have no dearth of good music to hear and hum.