&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'I don’t think that is true': Salim Merchant responds to AR Rahman’s communal bias row")
A.R Rahman had landed into controversy in January after the Oscar-winning composer alleged communal bias in the Hindi film industry. Recently, singer-composer Salim Merchant has reacted to Rahman's comment and says he doesn't believe such bias exists.
Salim Merchant on Rahman's comment
During an interview with IANS, Merchant shared that from his perspective, the industry does not discriminate on communal lines. "I don’t think that is true," he said. "With all due respect to what Rahman said, he may be right in his own way and speaking from his own experience, but I don’t think that’s the case."
Merchant highlights Ramayana as an example
Merchant further elaborates his point by citing the example of the upcoming film Ramayana. "I feel that the composer who is doing the biggest film in the history of Indian cinema, which is a Hindu epic called Ramayana, if he is the composer of that, then I don't think there is any problem with any communal issue," he added. "But that is my take on it, my opinion; he might have his own reasons."
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How fast can the Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet really fly?
)
Did China ask its people 'not to respond to aliens'? Origin of bizarre claim on social media
)
MS Dhoni-CSK Fallout? Report claims failed stake sale talks triggered rift
)
Scientists reveal the SAFEST COUNTRY when catastrophe strikes the planet
)
Serial killer on the loose in South Korea's Jeju Island? Fourth body found in three days as more than a dozen people go missing
)
2/3rd of glacier detached, collapsed: ISRO satellite images reveal what triggered Nepal floods
)
Trump once again claims without him there would be ‘no Israel right now’
)
Foreign espionage attacks against German companies surge to 37%, Bitkom report reveals
)
Blake Lively wins partial legal fee from Justin Baldoni after $8M request
)
Why is Pakistan deploying Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drones near India border?
)
'OH MY GOD! We've found other agents!': Investigators discover not one or two, almost 700 OpenAI AI agents went rogue, hacked Hugging Face
)
Lunar eclipse 2026: India timings, places to see and more. August Blood moon factsheet
)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on global outreach tour
)
Both pilots killed as training aircraft crashes in Lucknow – What we know
)
16-year-old charged with preparing terror attack on kindergarten in Norway
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How the S-400 protects itself from enemy attacks
)
Nepal floods: Over 165 dead, 400 missing; US, India, China, World Bank mobilise aid
)
India's multi-layered watch: The new surveillance war
)
5 doomsday planes spotted in US skies hours after CIA director's secret trip to Russia
)
9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to finally face trial in 2028, nearly 27 years after horrific attacks
)
Islamabad hospital fire: What we know about one of the biggest facility that housed Imran Khan
)
Workers run for life while filming Nepal flash flood: Scary new visuals emerge from Rasuwa
)
Russian military planes enter South Korean air defence zone amid rising tensions with North Korea: What's happening
)
Ron Weasley Is Back! Rupert Grint set to return to Harry Potter universe on Broadway
)
400-year-old 'vampire' grave in Poland reveals non-existent genetic lineage
)
Dolly Parton, global icon and queen of country music, dies at 80
)
Nepal flash floods: Kailash Mansarovar yatra affected, close to 400 pilgrims out of contact
)
'If he is dead, they're putting on a pretty good show': Trump casts fresh doubt over Mojtaba Khamenei's fate
)
Man arrested near US Capitol with guillotine in pickup truck: What happened?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI cockpit is painted bright turquoise green
Also Read: AR Rahman breaks silence on controversy over 'communal' remarks: 'India is my inspiration'
What was the controversy?
The backlash began after Rahman spoke about getting less work offers in Bollywood during an interview with BBC Asian Network. "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face," Rahman said. "It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great - rest for me, I can chill out with my family."
Following the controversy, the Oscar-winning composer shared a message clarifying that he never intended to hurt anyone. "Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring a culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home," he said in a video. "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."
