Veteran author and columnist Shobhaa De has criticized A.R. Rahman's recent remarks about the Hindi film industry, calling them "dangerous" and disagreeing with his suggestion of communal bias. The controversy arose after Rahman, in an interview with BBC Asian Network, alluded to a potential "communal angle" as a reason for his reduced workload in Bollywood over the past eight years.
De voiced her concerns at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026, where she was promoting her new book. Responding to media questions, De stated, "This is a very dangerous comment. I don't know why he's made it; you should ask him". She emphasized that in her 50 years of observing Bollywood, she has found it to be largely free of communal tension, where talent, not religion, determines opportunity. "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," she asserted.
Rahman, the first Indian composer to win an Academy Award, had stated that while he never directly experienced discrimination, he sensed changing dynamics in the industry. He noted a "power shift" where "people who are not creative have the power now to decide things". Elaborating on this, Rahman said, "It might be a communal thing also, but not in my face,” clarifying that such information often reached him indirectly. He also mentioned instances where he was booked for projects, but music companies ultimately hired their own composers. Despite this, Rahman has made peace with what he considers a quieter phase in his Bollywood journey, focusing on global projects and collaborations.
De countered Rahman's speculation by saying, "He is such a successful man, such a mature man; he should not have said it. Maybe he has his reasons, you will have to ask him". She argued that attributing fewer projects to communal reasons was unwarranted, given the industry's history of embracing Rahman and providing him with a platform for global recognition.
Rahman continues to be involved in diverse projects across different film industries. He is currently composing music for Ram Charan's upcoming Telugu film Peddi.
