AR Rahman Faces Backlash Over "Communal Bias" Remarks in Bollywood

New Delhi, India – Allah Rakha Rahman, globally celebrated as AR Rahman, India’s most famous composer, is once again at the center of a storm. Despite his numerous accolades, including Oscars, Grammys, and a Golden Globe for iconic works like "Jai Ho," Rahman recently faced a massive online backlash after suggesting that "communal bias" in Bollywood might have led him to lose work.

During a BBC Asian Network interview aired last Friday, the 59-year-old "Mozart of Madras" shared his candid thoughts. "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," Rahman stated. He further recounted, "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.'"

These remarks ignited immediate fury from Hindu right-wing commentators and activists, who swiftly questioned Rahman’s patriotism and talent. Accusations of "playing the victim card" proliferated across social media. Vinod Bansal from the far-right organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) went as far as demanding an apology from Rahman for "defaming" the country. "We are proud of him and whatever he has done for the country. But for someone who has earned his living from the Indian industry, the way he is trying to defame the country is highly objectionable," Bansal told Al Jazeera.

Remarkably, the Indian film industry, barring a few exceptions, largely remained silent, with insiders distancing themselves from Rahman’s controversial statements and offering little solidarity.

Within a day, facing an unrelenting stream of social media trolling, the composer felt compelled to issue an explanation. In a video posted on his Instagram account, Rahman clarified, "I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, but my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music." He emphasized his gratitude to the nation, noting his appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's support of India’s entertainment industry and young creatives. He also mentioned his ongoing work on the background score for the upcoming film "Ramayana," based on the Hindu epic, alongside German composer Hans Zimmer.

However, the backlash persisted for days, bringing to the forefront the challenges faced by Muslims amidst rising religious intolerance in India. Indian journalist Fatima Khan observed on X, "Incredible to see Rahman being moved from the good Muslim to the bad Muslim category overnight." She added, "Almost every Muslim public figure in India has had or will have the penny drop moment. No matter how many patriotic songs, movies or tweets. They’ll all live through the cruelty of it."

Debasish Roy Chowdhury, coauthor of "To Kill a Democracy: India’s Passage to Despotism," highlighted how online trolling contributes to manufacturing majoritarian consent. He argued that sustained social media noise can infiltrate mainstream discourse, falsely presenting itself as the dominant societal mood, where "the loudest voices then drown out tolerance and reason until hate is all that is heard and can be falsely claimed as representative of society."

Despite his current predicament, Rahman is not typically known for political outspokenness or openly discussing his Muslim identity. His career includes work on nationalist films like "Roja" (1992), celebrated for its patriotic themes, and his 1997 song "Maa Tujhe Salam," widely seen as unifying the diverse nation.

The Oscar winner’s comments have reignited questions about the Hindu right’s growing influence on Indian art and cinema, particularly in Bollywood. Critics argue that the industry has increasingly produced films echoing Hindu supremacist narratives, vilifying Muslims, or even glorifying Hindu extremists. This shift is seen as a result of a sustained culture war pushing Bollywood away from its pluralist ethos towards Hindu majoritarian narratives, aligning cinema with ruling party ideology.

Examples include "The Kashmir Files" (2022), which reportedly fueled anti-Muslim hate, and "The Kerala Story" (2023), accused of spreading Islamophobia. More recently, Rahman composed music for "Chhaava," a film portraying Mughal ruler Aurangzeb as brutal, which he himself admitted was "divisive" in his BBC interview.

Screenwriter and film critic Raja Sen commented on the visible shift: "We’re seeing a kind of vilification of Muslims on our screens. Earlier, it was just like an anti-Pakistan narrative. Now, there’s a different kind of narrative." Sen also claimed that some major filmmakers are now changing Muslim protagonists’ names to Hindu names in upcoming films, fearing controversy. "They must have thought, why make the protagonist, a good, heroic guy, a Muslim. It’s perhaps similar to what used to happen in post-9/11 America in terms of how the stereotyping was being done," he added.