Lydian Nadhaswaram is a student of the Chennai-based KM Music Conservatory that AR Rahman runs.
Academy Award winner AR Rahman is all praises for 13-year-old Lydian Nadhaswaram. The teenager, who is being praised for being a "piano prodigy", won a million dollars for his performance on the American reality show 'The World's Best'.
"It was really good performing in a huge international platform. I practiced a lot for the competition," Lydian told NDTV.
The young prodigy also made his debut on The Ellen Show. A video shared by Ellen DeGeneres on Facebook, which features a segment from the show where Lydian stuns the audience by playing the piano blindfolded, has now gone viral with over 2.6 million views.
Lydian is also a student of the Chennai-based KM Music Conservatory that Mr Rahman runs.
Lydian wants to score music for movies eventually. But Mr Rahman has different hopes for the young prodigy, who he called an "ambassador" for Chennai and India.
"I want him to become like the Lang Lang for India," Mr Rahman told NDTV, referring to the Chinese pianist, adding that Oscar was not an ultimate goal.
Lydian, who shrugged when asked about what he'd do with his hefty win, said he wants to practice more.
On the criticism that he faced on social media for allegedly 'forcing' his daughter Khatija to wear a niqaab at an event, Mr Rahman said, "In today's time, everybody knows what to do. Everybody knows what to choose. It's good for everybody."