Music composer AR Rahman on Sunday addressed the criticism about his recent comments about a possible “communal” bias in the Hindi film industry in the past eight years, saying he never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments.
In a video shared on Instagram, the 59-year-old Oscar-winning composer said that while intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, his purpose has always been to “uplift, honour and serve through music”.
The clarification follows his recent comments to BBC Asian Network in which Rahman 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.
On Sunday, he said: “I have never wished to cause pain and I hope my sincerity is felt.”
Rahman added that he feels fortunate to be Indian as it allows him to “create a space which always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices”.
In his comments to BBC Asian Network, he had said that 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 and funded the movie and got their five composers [hired],” he added.
He also said that audiences are capable of judgement and are not influenced by “divisive” movies.
You’ve read Scroll.
Now help sustain it
Scroll is funded by readers, not corporate owners. If you believe our work matters, support our newsroom. Become a member today!
We’re not driven by clicks or corporate interests – just honest, independent reporting. Keep us going. Support Scroll today!