Mithoon Defends AR Rahman Amid 'Communal' Remark Controversy: 'Has Every Right To Say What He Felt'

Allah Rakha Rahman, popularly known as AR Rahman, took Indian music to the global stage and earned prestigious awards – including Oscars, Grammys and a Golden Globe. The Mozart of Madras has also been honoured with Padma Vibhushan for his contribution to music.

But Rahman's recent comment on the Hindi film industry becoming 'communal' has been criticised by a section of people. He has been subjected to massive online trolling, with many questioning his patriotism. Music composer and singer Mithoon has come out in support of Rahman and hailed his contribution to Indian music.

Recently, in an interview with the BBC Asian Network, Rahman said that work offers from Bollywood had slowed over the past eight years, attributing it to a shift in power dynamics and due to potential 'communal bias'.

Mithoon backs AR Rahman

In an interview with Mid-Day, Mithoon said he has grown up looking up to Rahman. "He was the man who threw every textbook rule out of the window, yet created a powerful impact in our industry," he said.

Mithoon added that after being in the industry for more than 30 years, the music maestro has the right to express his opinions.

When the singer was asked about the power shifts within the industry, he denied experiencing it personally but admitted it can happen in other fields. "This must be happening in every field. Ultimately, our job is to engage the audience with our art," he said.

What did Rahman say?

In the interview, Rahman had said, "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." He mentioned these decisions reached him indirectly, which he described as "Chinese whispers."

After it triggered controversy, Rahman issued a video statement, where he said "intentions can sometimes be misunderstood," but his "purpose has always been to uplift, honour, and serve through music."