Part 2

Musical background

He also played on the orchestra of M.S.Vishwanathan and Ramesh Naidu and accompanied Zakir Hussain and Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan on world tours.
All this experience enabled him to earn a scholarship to the famed Trinity College of Music at Oxford University from where he obtained a degree in Western Classical Music.
After he returned he continued to be a part of various music troupes.
He was also a part of local rock bands like Roots, Magic and Nemesis Avenue where he performed with his future colleagues like Ranjit Barot and Sivamani.


Career in Ads

Vizi Manuel, the lead keyboard player in Illaiyaraja's troupe, advised him to try other alternatives like advertising.
Fortunately for Dileep he soon got his first break in advertising when he was asked to compose the jingle to promote Allwyn's new Trendy range of watches, in 1987.
The ads were a success and Dileep's work in them was appreciated.
Dileep moved full time into advertising as a few offers came his way.
Thus began Dileep's 5-year saga in advertising where he went on to compose more than 300 jingles.
Rahman did a lot of popular ads like those for Parry's, Leo Coffee, Boost featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev, Titan, Premier Pressure Cooker, Hero Puch and Asian Paints.
The jingles that he composed for the Leo Coffee ad starring Aravind Swamy and the Asian Paints ad directed by Rajeev Menon also won him awards and recognition.
He also won an award for composing the theme music of the Madras Telugu Academy's Spirit of Unity Concerts.


Studio

In 1989, he started a small studio of his own, called Panchathan Record Inn, attached to his house.
This would later develop into one of India's most well equipped and advanced recording studios.
In his established state of the art sound and recording studio he began experimenting in sound engineering, design and production.
He also began a collection of sound samples, creating one of the most comprehensive sonic libraries in Asia.