Music composer AR Rahman recently sparked outrage when he claimed in an interview that a shift in the power dynamics in the Hindi film industry has caused him to lose work. Author and columnist Shobhaa De called his comment ‘very dangerous’, saying that Bollywood has been ‘free of communal tension’ for 50 years now.
Shobhaa De slams AR Rahman’s comment
Shobhaa spoke to ANI about Rahman’s comment and said, “This is a very dangerous comment. I don’t know why he’s made it; you should ask him. But I’ve been watching Bollywood for 50 years. And if I’ve seen any place which is free of any kind of communal tension, it is Bollywood.”
Reacting to the music composer’s claim of not getting as much work, the author said, “If you have talent, you will get a chance. If you don’t have talent, there’s no question of religion being a factor; that they’re not giving you a chance. So, what he’s saying, he’s such a successful man, he’s such a mature man. He should not have said it; maybe he has his reasons, you will have to ask him.”
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 added that nobody says it to his face, stating, “It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I say good, I have more time to chill with my family. I am not in search of work. I don’t want to go in search of work. I want work to come to me; my sincerity to earn work. Whatever I deserve, I get.”
Since the interview dropped, Rahman has been called out on the internet for his statements.
