Music composer AR Rahman in an interview to BBC Asian Network said that the Hindi film industry has changed over the past eight years, attributing it to a shift in power and possibly to “a communal thing”.
His remarks sparked a political row, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party rejecting his claims and Opposition leaders expressing concern.
In the interview on Thursday, the Oscar-winning composer said he often hears about projects falling through indirectly.
“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,” Rahman said. “[It comes to me] as Chinese whispers that they booked you…but the music company went and funded the movie and got their five composers [hired].”
Asked whether he had faced prejudice when he began working in Hindi cinema in the 1990s, Rahman said: “Maybe I didn’t get to know all this stuff…maybe God concealed all this stuff.”
“But for me, I never felt any of those [in the 1990s],” he said. “But the past eight years, maybe, because the power shift has happened.”
Rahman also said that as an artist, he tries to avoid movies that are “made with bad intentions”.
He added that audiences are capable of judgement and are not influenced by “divisive” movies.
“I definitely think people are smarter than that,” Rahman said. “Do you think people are going to get influenced by movies? They have something called internal conscience which knows what the truth is and what manipulation is.”
The BJP on Friday rejected Rahman’s remarks, saying that the Hindi film industry continues to function on talent and merit, not religion.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale said that he disagreed with Rahman’s statement, IANS reported.
“The Hindi film industry has many artists from the Muslim community, including Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, who are loved by people in Maharashtra and across India,” he was quoted as saying.
BJP Minority Morcha president Syed Bhasha also dismissed Rahman’s claims, saying that opportunities in the film industry depend on a project’s success rather than the ruling party.
“Rahman reportedly said he has not received opportunities under the BJP government, but that is not true,” IANS quoted Bhasha as saying. “Since 1992, he has delivered major hits such as Slumdog Millionaire and Madras Cafe, and has earned awards.”
Bhasha also cited the example of Shah Rukh Khan, who won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 2025 for his film Jawan.
However, leaders from Opposition parties expressed concern over Rahman’s remarks.
Congress leader Husain Dalwai described the issue as unfortunate and concerning.
“Rahman is a great musician and an Oscar winner who is known all over the world,” Dalwai said. “If he is facing difficulties because he is a Muslim, then it is very sad and wrong. Sidelining someone of his stature is a loss not only for the film industry but for the country.”
Congress MP Tariq Anwar also urged the government to take note of the matter.
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