Music composer AR Rahman broke his silence after days of facing backlash for comments he made in an interview. Reiterating his love for India, the musician stated that it was never his aim to cause pain with his statements, and he has always strived to serve the country through music. He also ended the video with footage of his song Maa Tujhe Salaam/Vande Mataram being played during a cricket match. (Also Read: Chinmayi defends AR Rahman against claim that he refused to sing Vande Mataram; Meerra compares him to Priyanka Chopra)
AR Rahman says he’s honoured to score for Ramayana
Rahman began his video statement by calling India his teacher and home, stating, “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 cited examples of how he has strived to use music to uplift India, saying, “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 ended his statement with, “I remain grateful to this nation and committed to music that honours the past,” and footage of a stadium full of people singing along to his song Maa Tujhe Salaam/Vande Mataram.
What did AR Rahman say?
In an interview with BBC Asian Network, Rahman was asked whether he ever felt prejudice in Bollywood as a Tamil composer. He said, “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.” He also criticised Chhaava for cashing in on ‘divisiveness’.
