AR Rahman issued a clarification days after his comments on losing out on work due to the power shift in the industry and communal bias. His statement during a recent interview invited a lot of backlash, following which the Oscar-winning composer said that it was not his aim to hurt anyone with his statement.
He released a video where he can be heard saying, “Music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring our 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.”
He continued, “I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables me to create a space which always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices. From nurturing Jhalaa, presented at the WAVES summit in front of the honourable Prime Minister and Rooh-e-Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians, to creating 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 concluded his statement by expressing his gratitude to this nation and added footage of a stadium full of people singing Maa Tujhe Salaam with him.
During an interview with BBC Asian Network, the music maestro was asked whether he felt any bias in Bollywood as a Tamil composer, to which he replied, “Maybe I never got to know of this, maybe it was concealed by God, but I didn’t feel any of this. The past eight years, maybe, because a power shift has happened, and people who are not creative have the power now. It might be a communal thing also… but it is not in my face.”
Rahman also faced backlash for calling Chhavva a divisive film.
Also Read: AR Rahman on Composing for Ramayana With Hans Zimmer: “Coming From India to The World, With Love”
