Controversy continues in the Indian film world after legendary composer A R Rahman sparked debate with remarks suggesting that the Hindi film industry may have become “communal”, possibly affecting the opportunities offered to him in recent years.
Ram Gopal Varma disagrees with Rahman’s ‘communal’ remark
One of the most prominent responses came from veteran filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma in a podcast interview with Faridoon Shahryar. Varma rejected the notion that religion or communal identity drives hiring decisions in Indian cinema.
“I don’t really want to make a comment on what he said about the communal aspect. Because I do not believe that. I feel that the film industry is only about making money. Whoever makes money for them, they will go after that. They don’t care about your caste, religion — or where you’re from. If the South Indian film directors are making films which are blockbusters, they will go to them,” he said.
He argued that the film industry operates on commercial logic above all else, explaining that studios and producers prioritise financial success rather than an artist’s background.
“Hits decide everything” and also added, “The film industry is only about making money.”
To underline this point, Varma cited the example of the late singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, whose success in hit Bollywood films such as Maine Pyaar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hai Koun…! demonstrated how commercial success can drive opportunities regardless of origin.
He said, “When SP Balasubrahmanyam was taken for Maine Pyaar Kiya and Hum Aapke Hai Koun by Sooraj Barjatya, those songs were big hits, which is the reason they took them. The moment he was not there, the other songs weren’t working. It could be a Hindi guy or a Telugu or Tamil guy; it doesn’t make a difference.”
Varma was careful not to dismiss Rahman’s personal experiences entirely, acknowledging that individual situations may differ.
“I can’t speak for Rahman’s personal experiences. Having said that, I can’t speak for Rahman because I don’t know the experiences that he has had. Any one of us could speak in general, but it is possible for someone to go through something specific, which has made them talk like that. Is it a general thing, or was it something that happened to him? Not knowing these things, I can’t make a comment on them,” he said.
What did AR Rahman say?
Rahman made the comments during an interview with the BBC Asian Network, where he reflected that in the past eight years a shift in power dynamics had occurred and hinted that this “might be a communal thing also”, though “not in my face”.
Rahman said, “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. 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.”
His remarks quickly drew widespread attention, with strong reactions across social media and within the industry itself.
