AR Rahman Breaks Silence On “Communal” Remark Controversy: “Never Wished To Cause Pain”

New Delhi, Jan 18: Music composer AR Rahman has addressed the criticism surrounding his recent remarks on alleged “communal” bias in the Hindi film industry. After facing sustained backlash online, the Oscar-winning musician has shared his perspective through a video message on social media.

Rahman took to Instagram to clarify his stand, emphasising that India has always been central to his life and creative journey. In the video, he spoke about music being his primary medium of expression and connection, while underlining that he never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments.

“Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring a culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, but my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain and I hope my sincerity is felt,” Rahman said.

He went on to say that he feels fortunate to be an Indian, adding that the country offers him a space that values creative freedom and celebrates diverse voices. 

Rahman highlighted how working in such an environment has shaped his artistic outlook. Reflecting on his journey so far, the composer spoke about several projects that he believes have reinforced his purpose. “From nurturing Jala presented at the Wave Summit in front of the Honourable Prime Minister and Ruhi Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians, to create a string orchestra, to mentoring the Sunshine Orchestra, also building Secret Mountain, India’s first multicultural virtual band and the honour of scoring Ramayana alongside Hans Zimmer, each journey has strengthened my purpose,” he added. Towards the end of the video, Rahman expressed gratitude to India and reaffirmed his commitment to creating music that, in his words, “honours the past, celebrates the present and inspires the future.”

In a recent interview with BBC Network, Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman said that work from the Hindi film industry has slowed for him in recent years, attributing this change to “shifting power dynamics” over the last eight years and, possibly, to what he described as “a communal thing.

Rahman said the reasons often reach him indirectly. “It comes to me as Chinese whispers,” he noted.

Elaborating on that shift, the composer added, “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 ahead and hired their five composers. I said, ‘Oh, that’s great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family.”