4 minutes of readingBombayUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 08:41 pm IST
AR Rahman recently made headlines when he indirectly hinted at job loss in Bollywood over the last eight years, suggesting that the industry has become increasingly communal. Naturally, such a statement was controversial and quickly divided opinion online. Several celebrities, including Kangana Ranaut, criticized the Oscar-winning composer, while others, like Javed Akhtar, denied witnessing anything like this but refrained from openly criticizing Rahman. The argument became so volatile that Rahman finally apologized. By then, however, the damage had been done, and both the industry and the public were left contemplating what prompted such comments.
Veteran cinematographer Baba Azmi, brother of Shabana Azmi and son of legendary poet Kaifi Azmi, was recently asked if he, as a Muslim, had experienced increasing polarization in the industry. He told Just Too Filmy: “I don’t think so. This could just be a passing phase, it could be a small percentage, but no.” When asked if, at the end of the day, talent ultimately wins out, he said: “Absolutely. Because when you’re watching a movie, you don’t think about whether it’s a Muslim person acting or not. Either you’re so engrossed in the story or you don’t like the movie at all.”
Citing the example of Lagaan, whose music was composed by AR Rahman and lyrics written by Javed Akhtar, he added: “You don’t see who wrote the songs in Lagaan, that aarti. Whether it was Muslim or Hindu. That doesn’t matter. You’re listening to it, whether you like it, period, or not, period. There is nothing beyond that. At least, for now, I think we are far from something like that, and that is how it should be.”
For the uninitiated, AR Rahman began the speech after telling BBC Asian Network: “Maybe I never got to know about this, maybe it was hidden, but I didn’t feel any of this. Maybe in the last eight years because a power shift has happened, and non-creative people have the power now. Maybe it’s a communal thing too… but it’s not in my face. It comes to me like Chinese whispers, that they hired you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I say fine; I have more time to relax with my family. I don’t want to go look for work.
Following intense online trolling, Rahman later shared a video statement on Instagram, clarifying his position and emphasizing that he never intended to hurt anyone. In the video, he said, “India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. I understand that sometimes intentions can be misinterpreted. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honor and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain and I hope my sincerity is felt. I feel blessed to be Indian, which allows me to create a space that always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices.”