3 minutes of readingNew DelhiJanuary 30, 2026 21:15 IST
AR RahmanThe recent commentary on “communal bias” in the Hindi film industry has sparked widespread debate, with several members of the entertainment fraternity weighing in on the issue. The latest to react is singer-songwriter Amaal Malik, who said that while he understands the broader point Rahman was trying to make, he disagrees with the communal angle attached to it.
In a conversation with Faridoon Shahryar, Amaal explained, “From an industry perspective, what he has said is largely correct. However, I don’t agree with the community aspect. Forget nepotism and groupism – nowadays, every label is comfortable working with its own group of artists. They promote those artists because they generate revenue. Nowadays, labels have become the real decision makers.”
Amaal went on to explain, “This is the era of management and agencies. There is groupism, both good and bad. You can see how Mani Ratnam sir works almost exclusively with Rahman sir, or how Anurag Basu collaborates mainly with Pritam da. I once told Anurag Basu sir that I love his work, and he said that he only thinks in Pritam’s musical language. These creative synergies form naturally. Labels are comfortable with their artists, and there is no nothing wrong with that. But if someone is making better music, he should be given priority, be it AR Rahman or a newcomer.”
Talking about the changing ecosystem of the music industry, Amaal Mallik pointed out that even the best composers face limitations. “The industry wants to work with big names like AR Rahman and Pritam da. There are only a few such songwriters, but none of them work as much as Pritam da. There are several big songwriters and many newcomers too. It’s not about targeting anyone. In the last 15 years, a new system has been implemented where labels prefer to stick with their own artists and don’t wait for anyone to say yes, not even me or AR Rahman. That’s how things work today. What if AR Rahman can’t challenge This system, how could anyone like it?
He further clarified that AR Rahman’s statement should not be seen as insecurity. “The only way forward is to focus on making good music. I am not left behind by making 15 films at a time. I understand what you are trying to say. This is not AR Rahman’s insecurity; he is too big for that. He is just showing the tip of the iceberg. He is pointing out that even someone of his stature can be marginalized. Bigger actors today have more say and are dominating the system.”
Meanwhile, several prominent industry voices (including Rani Mukerji, Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar and Manoj Muntashir) have publicly disagreed with AR Rahman’s comments, further intensifying the ongoing debate.