Overview
- In interviews published Jan 19–20, Imtiaz Ali told India Today that A. R. Rahman’s remarks were misconstrued and said he has never seen communal bias in the film industry.
- Ali called Rahman one of the industry’s brightest figures and urged that the full context of the interview be considered.
- Responding to criticism, Rahman affirmed his love for India and shared footage of his Maa Tujhe Salaam/Vande Mataram performance at a cricket match.
- Rahman cited initiatives such as Jhalaa at the WAVES summit, Rooh-e-Noor, collaborations with young Naga musicians, the Sunshine Orchestra, Secret Mountain, and the Ramayana score with Hans Zimmer.
- The dispute traces to a BBC Asian Network interview where Rahman described a power shift in Bollywood and said it “might be a communal thing” not shown to his face, which Ali contends has been misread.