Son’s post adds new turn to Rahman row

As the controversy surrounding the Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer A. R. Rahman’s recent remarks gains momentum, his son A. R. Ameen has now come out in support of his father.

On Monday, the composer’s son took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and shared a throwback video of his father from IPL 2022 in which A. R. Rahman can be seen going around the cricket stadium. His son used the Indian tricolour gif in the Instagram Story hinting at the efforts of his father towards the nation. In the video, one can also hear the Oscar-winning song 'Jai Ho'.

The controversy erupted after Rahman’s statement in a recent interview about his experience working in the Hindi film industry.

During a recent interaction with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about getting limited work offers in Bollywood.

He suggested that over the past eight years, a shift in power dynamics and “communal” factors, meaning issues tied to religion, regional identity, and industry politics, may have influenced the types of opportunities he received in Bollywood. His comments sparked a strong public and media backlash, with many interpreting his words as implying discrimination or bias within the industry.

Following the uproar, Rahman issued a video clarification, stressing that his intentions were misunderstood and that he “never meant to hurt anyone”. He described India as his inspiration and reaffirmed that his music is rooted in unity and cultural celebration.

The Oscar-winning composer took to Instagram and uploaded a video sharing that India is not only his home, but also his inspiration and his teacher.

He said, "Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring a culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home. 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”.

“From nurturing Jala presented at the Wave Summit in front of the Honourable Prime Minister and Ruhi Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians, to create a string orchestra, to mentoring the Sunshine Orchestra, also building Secret Mountain, India's first multicultural virtual band and the honour of scoring Ramayana alongside Hans Zimmer, each journey has strengthened my purpose”, he added.