A R Rahman’s daughters Raheema and Khatija backed their father amid backlash over his remarks on declining Bollywood work. They shared a post defending his right to express his personal experience
AR Rahman
A R Rahman's daughter Raheema and Khatija have shared a post in support of their music composer father after he courted controversy for his comments about declining work from Bollywood. He had said that his work in the industry has reduced and attributed it to a power shift and also hinted at communal bias. The remarks sparked a debate online and across entertainment circles, with critics questioning the basis of Rahman's observation, following which the composer issued a clarification, saying his comments were misunderstood and that he never intended to "cause pain.
AR Rahman's daughter support him
Raheema and Khatija on Monday shared a post by music composer Kailas who said that people can disagree with Rahman "but you cannot deny him the freedom to express his experience".
"Disagree, don't disgrace. People blaming A R Rahman for speaking his mind are missing a basic point. He spoke about how he felt. That is his right. You may disagree with him, but you cannot deny him the freedom to express his experience. What followed, however, has gone far beyond disagreement and entered the space of abuse and character assassination," Kailas said.
He praised Rahman as a person who carried Indian music to the world, represented the country with dignity, and shaped generations through his work.
"Calling a globally respected artist a 'disgrace', questioning his faith, mocking his recent works, and reducing his lived experience to a 'victim card' is not criticism. It's hate speech presented as opinion.
"Decades of contribution to Tamil culture, Indian cinema, and global music do not disappear because an artist expresses a personal view. You may debate his opinion on a film. You may disagree with his interpretation. That's fair. What is not fair is public humiliation or attacking his integrity to silence what he said," Kailas added.
AR Rahman clarifies his remarks
Rahman took to Instagram to share a video statement. He began by calling India his teacher and home, 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 further 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 concluded his statement saying, “I remain grateful to this nation and committed to music that honours the past,” and ended the video with footage of his song Maa Tujhe Salaam/Vande Mataram being played during a cricket match with a stadium full of people singing along
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