AR Rahman has clarified the intentions behind his recent remarks suggesting that the Hindi film industry may have become more �communal� in the last eight years. The Oscar-winning composer made this insinuation while confessing that he�s been getting less work due to a �power shift� in the Hindi music industry. On Sunday, Rahman took to Instagram to share a video statement, clarifying his stance.
�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. I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables to create a space which always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices,� said Rahman in the video.
He added, �From nurturing JHALAA, presented at the WAVES Summit in front of the honourable Prime Minister and Rooh-E-Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians to create a string orchestra to mentoring the Sunshine Orchestra, and 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.�
�I remain grateful to this nation and committed to music that honours the past, celebrates the present and inspires the future. Jai Hind and Jai Ho,� Rahman concluded. The video ended with a cricket stadium singing in unison his 1997 seminal patriotic song �Vande Matram�.
In the video, AR Rahman also listed recent efforts undertaken for the progress of India�s music landscape, including JHALAA, a raga-based music ensemble, and the all-women ensemble Rooh-E-Noor, led by his daughter Khatija Rahman. He mentioned the Sunshine Orchestra, which provides free Western classical music education to underprivileged children, and Secret Mountain, a digital band powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Rahman is co-composing the score for Nitesh Tiwari�s adaptation of the Indian epic Ramayana, collaborating with Hans Zimmer on the project.