A.R. Rahman, one of India’s most celebrated music composers, has sparked debate with his recent comments about prejudice in the Hindi film industry. In a BBC Asian Network interview, Rahman reflected on his journey in Bollywood, revealing that while he was embraced by the industry in the 1990s, recent years have been challenging for him. He attributed this partly to a power shift within Bollywood and hinted at possible communal bias, though he emphasized it was never direct.
Rahman made his Bollywood debut with Mani Ratnam’s Roja in 1991 and later scored Bombay (1995) and Dil Se.. (1998), while Subhash Ghai’s Taal (1999) helped him become a household name in North India. He described learning Hindi, Urdu, and Punjabi as essential steps to connecting with the Hindi film audience. He noted that as a Tamil composer, crossing into the North Indian mainstream was unprecedented and rewarding.
On the issue of losing work in the past eight years, Rahman said, “People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face. It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, ‘Oh, that’s great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family.’” He also stressed that he is not in search of work but prefers that opportunities come to him.
Rahman highlighted his selective approach to films, stating he avoids projects “made with bad intentions.” He discussed his work on the polarizing Chhaava, about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and praised its message on bravery while acknowledging its controversial reception.
He also reflected on composing music for the Ramayana adaptation, noting the universal appeal of stories and learning from all sources regardless of faith. “Hans Zimmer is Jewish, I am Muslim, and the Ramayana is Hindu,” he said, emphasizing art’s ability to transcend religion.
Rahman’s comments drew criticism from some quarters. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal suggested Rahman should “re-convert to Hinduism” to regain work and accused him of defaming Bollywood, despite Rahman clarifying that he had only expressed observations about recent trends and power dynamics in the industry.
