Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has had a power-packed start to 2025, with the release of his album ‘Gandhi Vaartai’ receiving attention across music circles. Later this year, the legendary musician will once again be in the global spotlight with Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious epic ‘Ramayana’, where he is collaborating with internationally acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer.
AR Rahman
AR Rahman Opened Up On Working In Hindi Industry
However, amid professional milestones, Rahman has made some candid revelations about the Hindi film industry, admitting that he is receiving less work and attributing it to shifting power dynamics and underlying sentiments within the industry. In a recent interview, AR Rahman openly stated that he feels a decline in the amount of work coming his way in Hindi cinema. While clarifying that it hasn’t affected him directly, he pointed towards power shifts and communal undercurrents over the past eight years as possible reasons.
AR Rahman
“I’m not looking for work. I want work to come to me; I want to earn through honest work. I feel that chasing work is inauspicious for me,” Rahman said, highlighting his belief in letting creativity and destiny take their own course. When asked whether he faced discrimination in the 1990s when he entered the Hindi film industry, Rahman admitted that he may not have been aware of such issues back then.
AR Rahman
“Maybe God kept all these things hidden from me. I never felt anything like that earlier, but perhaps there has been a power shift in the last eight years,” he shared. The composer further added that decision-making power today often lies with people who are not creatively inclined, which sometimes leads to questionable professional choices.
AR Rahman
Speaking on a youtube channel, AR Rahman addressed questions about whether his religious beliefs influenced his work on ‘Ramayana’. He responded by emphasizing the importance of knowledge beyond religious boundaries. “I studied in a Brahmin school, and every year we read the Ramayana and Mahabharata. I understand the story, the ideals, and the virtues it talks about,” he said.