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What is the story about?
A R Rahman has rarely been a public commentator on the inner workings of the film industry, much less beyond it.
In a career spanning nearly four decades, his public persona has been defined by a focus on music, an avoidance of controversy, and an almost deliberate distance from the churn of politics. Precisely why his recent remarks, and the resultant backlash, merit attention.
In his interview with the BBC Asian Network, the Oscar award winner spoke about a perceived shift in power within the Hindi film industry, suggesting that fewer opportunities were coming his way, and that this may have been influenced by non-creative decision-making.
He went so far as to suspect, based on 'Chinese whispers', that his Muslim identity may have cost him some work. He also added, "Past eight years, maybe, because the power shift has happened... 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."
Since his debut with Mani Ratnam's Roja in 1992, Rahman has never positioned himself as a whistleblower, or a chronicler of systemic bias that many others in the industry have spoken about.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, he has not used interviews to settle scores, narrate grievances, or articulate ideological positions.
His silence over the years has made it difficult to map his personal convictions or grievances onto a public narrative. Until now, his conscience, for the most part, has been inferred only through his work.
Rahman reinvented the national song, Vande Mataram, for an entire generation. A song rooted in India’s struggle for independence, which the Muslim orthodoxy has refused to embrace because of its iconography, allowing the Hindu fundamentalists to repeatedly use it as a test of patriotism for all Muslims.
Rahman has not shied away from making devotional songs for Hindu deities or incorporating ideas and inspirations from art forms that a conservative may not consider Islamic.
The only political position he has taken is against what is considered the imposition of Hindi in some parts of the country.
Yet, he has made some immortal songs across languages, including Hindi, and earned the love of one and all, in India and abroad.
Until now, India’s most-loved contemporary music director, AR Rahman, never let his religion eclipse his unquestioned talent in the public sphere; which makes the current moment unusual.
Some people see it as an attempt to revive a waning career. Rahman himself has offered some perspective with a follow-up post on Instagram.
"India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt," he said in the video.
So, why did he break out of that comfort zone after decades of reticence? Is he trying to reclaim relevance as some of his critics suggest?
Or does he believe it's time to use the moral authority he has earned to shed light on a problem? It can be argued that Rahman standing up for an injustice against someone else, perhaps an upstart in the industry, would have given the argument more credence.
Rahman is one of the very few people, like cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, singer Lata Mangeshkar, business tycoon Ratan Tata, and former President Abdul Kalam, to name a few, who have been able to rise above any identity that could constrain the people’s love for their craft.
They did so by keeping their faith personal, carefully hiding their political beliefs, and not taking a stand on any issue that seemed to bother the rest of the country one way or another.
We may never know what prompted Rahman to invoke his Muslim identity now, unless he tells us more.
Also Read: Haazri 2026 brings AR Rahman, Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Hariharan on one stage
In a career spanning nearly four decades, his public persona has been defined by a focus on music, an avoidance of controversy, and an almost deliberate distance from the churn of politics. Precisely why his recent remarks, and the resultant backlash, merit attention.
In his interview with the BBC Asian Network, the Oscar award winner spoke about a perceived shift in power within the Hindi film industry, suggesting that fewer opportunities were coming his way, and that this may have been influenced by non-creative decision-making.
He went so far as to suspect, based on 'Chinese whispers', that his Muslim identity may have cost him some work. He also added, "Past eight years, maybe, because the power shift has happened... 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."
Since his debut with Mani Ratnam's Roja in 1992, Rahman has never positioned himself as a whistleblower, or a chronicler of systemic bias that many others in the industry have spoken about.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, he has not used interviews to settle scores, narrate grievances, or articulate ideological positions.
His silence over the years has made it difficult to map his personal convictions or grievances onto a public narrative. Until now, his conscience, for the most part, has been inferred only through his work.
Rahman reinvented the national song, Vande Mataram, for an entire generation. A song rooted in India’s struggle for independence, which the Muslim orthodoxy has refused to embrace because of its iconography, allowing the Hindu fundamentalists to repeatedly use it as a test of patriotism for all Muslims.
Rahman has not shied away from making devotional songs for Hindu deities or incorporating ideas and inspirations from art forms that a conservative may not consider Islamic.
The only political position he has taken is against what is considered the imposition of Hindi in some parts of the country.
Yet, he has made some immortal songs across languages, including Hindi, and earned the love of one and all, in India and abroad.
Until now, India’s most-loved contemporary music director, AR Rahman, never let his religion eclipse his unquestioned talent in the public sphere; which makes the current moment unusual.
Some people see it as an attempt to revive a waning career. Rahman himself has offered some perspective with a follow-up post on Instagram.
"India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt," he said in the video.
So, why did he break out of that comfort zone after decades of reticence? Is he trying to reclaim relevance as some of his critics suggest?
Or does he believe it's time to use the moral authority he has earned to shed light on a problem? It can be argued that Rahman standing up for an injustice against someone else, perhaps an upstart in the industry, would have given the argument more credence.
Rahman is one of the very few people, like cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, singer Lata Mangeshkar, business tycoon Ratan Tata, and former President Abdul Kalam, to name a few, who have been able to rise above any identity that could constrain the people’s love for their craft.
They did so by keeping their faith personal, carefully hiding their political beliefs, and not taking a stand on any issue that seemed to bother the rest of the country one way or another.
We may never know what prompted Rahman to invoke his Muslim identity now, unless he tells us more.
Also Read: Haazri 2026 brings AR Rahman, Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Hariharan on one stage
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