Paresh Rawal has backed AR Rahman amid the controversy.
He shared Rahman's clarification video and called him nation's "pride."
The Oscar-winning music composer faced backlash for his recent remarks on Bollywood.
Music composer AR Rahman released a video statement after facing backlash for the remarks he made about Bollywood in a recent interview. In the video, the Oscar-winning composer stated that he never meant to cause pain with his statements, saying that intentions can “sometimes be misunderstood.” The music maestro also said that he has always served the country through music.
Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has backed Rahman, calling him the nation's "pride."
Paresh Rawal supports AR Rahman
Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Paresh Rawal re-shared AR Rahman's video and wrote, "We love you, sir. You are our pride (sic)" and added a folded hands and a red heart emojis.
Check the tweet here.
What AR Rahman said in his video after facing backlash
On Sunday, Rahman took to his Instagram handle to share a video message. He spoke about his connection with India, music, and culture, without directly addressing the controversy.
He said that music has always been his way of "connecting, celebrating, and honouring a culture." He called India his "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," Rahman said.
"I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt. I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables me to create a space that allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices," he added.
Towards the end Rahman said he remains "grateful and committed to music that honours the past, celebrates the present, and inspires the future."
AR Rahman controversy
The controversy erupted following AR Rahman's interview with BBC Asian Network, where he stated that he has received less work in the Hindi film industry in the recent years, which he felt was due to the "shifting power dynamics" over the last eight years and called it "a communal thing."
On the shift, he further 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. 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."
Rahman's remarks received mixed reactions from celebs and netizens.
