Why A R Rahman’s interview deserves Applause, not Outrage When a legend speaks and an award-winning journalist questions and listens, the result should ideally be a gem. And that is exactly what this conversation between A. R. Rahman and Haroon Rashid is meant to be - measured, expansive, intelligent, and deeply rooted in music and lived experience. Rahman is not just a composer; he is an institution, someone who shapes how India sounds to itself and to the world. BBC’s Haroon Rashid, with his calm, respectful, and probing style, is among the few interviewers who allows artists the space to think aloud rather than some others who perform for headlines. By all accounts, this interview deserves to be celebrated as one of those rare, archival conversations. Strangely though, it has evoked controversy.
Having watched the entire lengthy interview, spread across two or three sittings, I am surprised by the outrage, and yet, at the same time, not entirely so. We now live in a time where listening and understanding have been replaced by trolling, and reflection by reaction. Many have knowingly or unknowingly allowed their mindset to turn increasingly hostile, constantly on the lookout for something, or anything to take offence at. Seeing bad where none exists has almost become a natural reflex action. In this case, cherry-picking a line or two from an 86-minute interview and assigning some sinister intent to it says more about the current Indian mindset than about the speaker or the interviewer, both of whom, in my opinion, are on the right track, no matter what an increasingly intolerant social media ecosystem says. For anyone who truly loves music, Rahman’s views feel familiar, even comforting. He speaks about art not liking boundaries, about music belonging to everyone, about cultures flowing into each other naturally. He talks about how he, as a South Indian, survives and thrives in Hindi cinema. He reflects on Sufi thought, Carnatic discipline, Hindustani accessibility, Malayalam authenticity, Western influences, and global collaborations - all coexisting without contradiction. There is no rant, no accusation, no bitterness. What bothers me further is the now-familiar pattern: lifting two or three lines out of context and weaponising them to build a negative narrative around a man who contributes immeasurably to Indian music. Rahman makes no direct communal allegation. His remark about a “power shift” in the industry - where people who are not creative increasingly decide creative outcomes - is cautious, framed as “Chinese whispers,” as he himself puts it. Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan too echoed his views. Rahman even brushes aside more sensitive questions, such as why he hasn’t collaborated with Atif Aslam, explicitly choosing not to dwell on them. Hardly the words of someone out to malign the industry. In fact, his tone throughout remains optimistic, seeing this phase as a chance to recalibrate and trusting that sincere work eventually finds its way. The irony, however, is hard to miss. Many of the same voices that tore into Bollywood during the Sushant Singh Rajput episode now rush to defend the industry, as if to suggest that the Hindi film industry has always nurtured talent flawlessly - which we all know is not the case. History tells a very different story: generations of singers sidelined during the eras of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, and later as well. The same holds true for actors. Suresh Wadkar has spoken about legendary singer Mohammed Rafi being given a raw deal in the 1970s. Amit Kumar walked away in the 1980s due to Bollywood’s lobbies. Shaan, Anuradha Paudwal, Vani Jayaram, Suman Kalyanpur, Hemlata, S. Janaki, and even S. P. Balasubrahmanyam have all acknowledged how lobbies and groups sideline talent. Rahman speaks none of this, and yet his one or two lines are cherry-picked to manufacture controversy. That said, on the brighter side, the interview now has received a record number of views. Perhaps the controversy contributed in some way. Haroon Rashid deserves full credit for how he gets Rahman to speak candidly and freely, gently walking music lovers through his finest musical scores, like a guided tour of modern Indian music history. Starting with "Roja", Rahman speaks about the uncertainty of his debut and how close he came to quitting. He talks about his disappointment on watching Roja’s music on screen, where the sound quality felt compromised, making him briefly consider walking away from film music altogether. Then come innovations — Dolby, DTS, evolving technology and he decided to stay on. >From there, we are gently guided through some of Rahman’s finest works, like turning the pages of a cherished musical scrapbook. The conversation moves to another of his popular soundtracks from the movie "Bombay" — remember “Remo’s Humma Humma”, as he plays several themes on the piano. The conversation then arrives at "Dil Se", the third of the triology, and the magic of “Jiya Jale.” Rahman fondly recalls drawing one of Lata Mangeshkar’s finest performances, even admitting, half-smiling, how he “tricks” her into extra takes by blaming low sound levels. The Malayalam inflections, he explains, are so integral that Mani Ratnam even reworked Preity Zinta’s backstory to stay true to the song’s soul. The journey then drifts into his spiritual space with “Khwaja Mere Khwaja” (Jodhaa Akbar) and “Kun Faya Kun” (Rockstar), revealing how deeply Sufism shapes his music and worldview. He looks at Rangeela as a creatively liberating phase, speaks warmly about working with the legendary Asha Bhosle mentioning Tanha Tanha as his favourite, recalls how Taal’s rhythm-driven songs powered by Sukhwinder Singh captured North India homes, and reflects on “Maa Tujhe Salaam” from Vande Mataram as a rare patriotic piece that eventually lead to collaborations with Coldplay. >From Lagaan to Swades, Rang De Basanti, Saathiya, Slumdog Millionaire, Rockstar and beyond, the interview patiently walks us through these masterpieces, their making and their moment - one memory at a time. I have watched many interviews over the years, across different artists and hosts, and this stands out as one of the better-conducted ones: a measured, expansive guided tour into Rahman’s best compositions from past, present, and future. All through, one can see and feel a humble down-to-earth Rahman guiding us through his iconic compositions. Which brings me back to the uncomfortable question: why have we become so touchy and nit-picking as a society? How does the same composer who gives us "Lagaan" and "Rang De Basanti" suddenly become “problematic” because of selectively quoted lines? If we keep judging 86 minutes of thoughtful conversation through the lens of two or three lines of outrage, we are not critiquing. We are simply training ourselves to be negative. As for me, both A. R. Rahman and Haroon Rashid get a solid 9 out of 10 for this guided high-quality tour. A wonderful, in-depth interview in every sense. Jai Ho! regards Sandeep Heble Goa
