Indian composer A.R. Rahman recently sparked a nationwide debate after claiming that he has received less work over the last eight years and hinting that the Hindi film industry may be growing communal.
His remarks divided opinion across the industry and on social media, with voices both supporting and questioning the claim.
Now, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who has previously collaborated with Rahman, has weighed in on the controversy, offering a pragmatic take on how the film industry functions.
“The Film Industry Is Only About Making Money”: RGV
Speaking on Faridoon Shahryar’s podcast, Varma distanced himself from the communal angle altogether, arguing that commercial success remains the only driving force in cinema.
“I don’t really want to make a comment on what he said about the communal aspect. Because I do not believe that. I feel that the film industry is only about making money. Whoever makes money for them, they will go after that. They don’t care about your caste, religion — or where you’re from. If the South Indian film directors are making films which are blockbusters, they will go to them,” Varma said.
According to the Satya director, audience response and box office performance dictate choices far more than identity or background.
SP Balasubrahmanyam Example: “Hits Decide Everything”
Varma reinforced his argument by citing the late singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam’s massive success in Hindi cinema.
“When SP Balasubrahmanyam was taken for Maine Pyaar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hai Koun by Sooraj Barjatya, those songs were big hits, which is the reason they took them. The moment he was not there, the other songs weren’t working. It could be a Hindi guy or a Telugu or Tamil guy; it doesn’t make a difference,” he explained.
For Varma, success, not sentiment, has always shaped industry decisions.
“I Can’t Speak For Rahman’s Personal Experiences”
While dismissing the idea of systemic communal bias, Varma was careful not to invalidate Rahman’s personal feelings.
“Having said that, I can’t speak for Rahman because I don’t know the experiences that he has had. Any one of us could speak in general, but it is possible for someone to go through something specific, which has made them talk like that. Is it a general thing, or was it something that happened to him? Not knowing these things, I can’t make a comment on them,” Varma said.
Sona Mohapatra Disagrees: “That Is Not Marginalisation”
Singer and independent musician Sona Mohapatra also weighed in, firmly disagreeing with Rahman’s assessment of his position in the industry.
During a conversation with The Indian Express, she pointed out that Rahman continues to be associated with some of the country’s biggest projects.
“He scored Chhaava. He is scoring Ramayana. He continues to be attached to some of the biggest, most high-profile projects in the country, while also being globally active and constantly travelling and likely not available to many projects. By any objective measure, that is not marginalisation,” she said.
