EntertainmentPosted at: Jan 20 2026 1:44PM


MP Kanimozhi backs AR Rahman amid bollywood controversy, calls for respect

New Delhi, Jan 20 (UNI) DMK MP Kanimozhi has expressed her support for music maestro AR Rahman amid controversy surrounding his remarks on Bollywood.
Taking to X, she wrote, “I stand with arrahman. The deliberate targeting of a musician whose art transcends religion, language, and identity, and the shocking silence of those in authority in India, is deeply disturbing.”
Praising the Oscar-winning composer, Kanimozhi credited him with taking Indian music to the world and called him an “ambassador of culture and Indian values.”
She added, “Rahman is a creator and artist who carried the music of this country to the world, but also India's foremost ambassador of culture and Indian values. He deserves respect and gratitude, not prejudice and hate. Such intolerance has no place in a democratic and plural society.”
Rahman, in a recent interview with the BBC Asian Network, had remarked that work from the Hindi film industry has slowed for him in recent years, attributing it to changing industry dynamics over the past eight years.
Veteran author and columnist Shobhaa De criticized Rahman’s comments, calling them “very dangerous.” Speaking at a session for her new book at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026, De said she disagreed with his claims of religious bias in Bollywood.
She 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.”
She also added, “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.”
Actress and politician Kangana Ranaut also weighed in, calling Rahman “prejudiced and hateful.” On her Instagram, she alleged that Rahman refused to meet her or compose music for her directorial film Emergency, reportedly because he considered it a “propaganda film.”
She wrote, “Dear AR Rahman, I face so much prejudice and partiality in the film industry because I support a saffron party, yet I must say I have not come across a man more prejudiced and hateful than you, I desperately wanted to narrate my directorial Emergency to you, forget narration, you even refused to meet me. I was told you don't want to be a part of a propaganda film.”
Ranaut also noted that Emergency received critical acclaim and appreciation from opposition leaders for its balanced approach, claiming Rahman was “blinded by his hate.”
She added, “Ironically, Emergency was called a masterpiece by all critics, even opposition party leaders sent me fan letters appreciating the film for its balanced and compassionate approach, but you are blinded by your hate. I feel sorry for.”
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