Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman has weighed in on music composer AR Rahman’s recent statement about facing communal bias and a power shift in Bollywood. The composer had stirred a debate after suggesting that he might have lost work in the Hindi film industry due to a ‘communal thing’.
Rahman later clarified his comments on social media, saying his intention was not to hurt anyone. However, his remarks drew reactions from several industry figures including Javed Akhtar, Shaan, Shankar Mahadevan, and Kangana Ranaut. Now, Waheeda Rehman has shared her perspective on the controversy in an interview with SCREEN.
“These small things happen in every country…”
When asked about Rahman’s statement, Waheeda said she prefers to stay away from such discussions. “Yes, I read about it, but I try to dig less into it. I prefer not to pay attention to it, when everything is going fine. These small things happen in every country,” she said.
The actor added, “So, what to believe and how much to believe? If it’s even true or not. Why should we get involved? At least at my age, I don’t want to get involved with anything or anybody. Apni shaanti se raho, yeh mulk hai humaara, bas khush raho, that’s what I can say.”
Waheeda also suggested that Rahman’s reduced workload might have more to do with changing times than with religion. “Kaam toh upar neeche hota hi rehta hai. Ek umar ke baad, log kehte hain ki bring somebody new or different. All this can lead to a few people staying behind,” she explained.
“Agar vo bahut oonchaai par pahuche hain aur vo vahin rahenge, unhi ko lenge, aisa bhi toh nahi hota na. Upar neeche hota hi rehta hai, aisi koi nayi baat nahi hai,” she added.
AR Rahman’s original statement and clarification
In an earlier interview with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about the challenges he faced as a Tamil composer in Bollywood. “Maybe I never get to know of this, maybe it was concealed but I didn’t feel any of this. Maybe in the past eight years 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 said.
Following criticism, Rahman took to social media to clarify his remarks. In a video message, he said, “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.”
