Shobhaa De, Shaan, and Javed Akhtar reject communal bias claim after AR Rahman’s remarks called it ‘dangerous’

shaan javed akhtar sobha de

• Veteran Bollywood figures deny communal bias claims made by AR Rahman.
• Talent, not religion, drives opportunities: Shobhaa De, Shaan, Javed Akhtar.
• Rahman hasn't faced discrimination but heard industry rumors.

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Veteran voices from the Indian entertainment industry have pushed back strongly against a recent suggestion by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman that his declining number of Hindi film assignments over the past eight years “might have been a communal thing”. In a recent interview with BBC Asian Network, Rahman noted that structural changes in the industry and shifting power dynamics have led to fewer offers from Bollywood in recent years, and while he clarified he had not directly experienced discrimination, he also said the rumour mill sometimes hints at prejudice behind the scenes.

Responding to these remarks, novelist and columnist Shobhaa De dismissed the idea of communal bias in Bollywood, calling Rahman’s comments “a very dangerous comment.”

Shobhaa De said, “This is a very dangerous comment. I don’t know why he has made it, you should ask him.” Drawing from her decades-long association with the Hindi film industry, De shared that Bollywood has largely remained free of communal bias, adding, “I have been watching Bollywood for 50 years. And if I have seen any place which is free of any kind of communal tension, it is Bollywood. If you have talent, you will get a chance. If you don’t have talent, there is no question of religion being a factor that you are not getting a chance.”

She concluded, “So, what he is saying, he is such a successful man, he is such a mature man. He should not have said it, maybe he has his reasons, you will have to ask him.”

Shaan also denied any notion of a “communal or minority” bias in Rahman’s recent comments. He told IANS, “I have been singing for so many years and I am also not getting much work. But I don’t go into it much because I feel it is a personal thing. Everyone has their own thoughts and likes. And how much work we should get is not in our hands,” adding that “whatever work you get, do it well,” and that Rahman’s signature style continues to win fans, so “if there was any such thing” as bias, it would not make sense given the success and growing fanbases of long-standing minority artists in the industry. He emphasised that he does not think there is any communal minority angle in music.

Also read: A R Rahman on creating Ramayana’s music with Hans Zimmer: 'We’re scoring something iconic and important to the world...'

Javed Akhtar also shared his views and told IANS, “I have never felt this way. I meet people here in Mumbai. They have great respect for him. Rahman is such a big man. Even a small producer is afraid to go to him. But I don’t think there is any communal element in this. Why don’t you see him? He will definitely come.”