Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman has spoken about a marked decline in opportunities in the Hindi film industry over the past eight years, stating that shifting power dynamics within Bollywood, and possibly subtle communal considerations, may have played a role, while also making it clear that he has chosen not to react with bitterness or confrontation but with detachment and quiet resistance to prejudice.
During a recent interaction with the BBC Asian Network, Rahman reflected on how decision-making authority in the Hindi film industry appears to have moved away from individuals driven primarily by artistic considerations and towards structures where commercial interests, particularly those of music companies, increasingly dictate creative outcomes, a transition that he believes has reduced the volume of work coming his way.
The composer indicated that while he has not experienced overt discrimination, he has often learnt indirectly that projects initially envisaged with him in mind were subsequently redistributed among several composers, a practice he sees as part of the broader power shift rather than as a personal slight, and one that occasionally carries undertones of communal bias without being explicitly confrontational.
Rahman emphasised that he has never positioned himself as a seeker of assignments, maintaining instead that meaningful work should arrive organically through the sincerity and integrity of one’s craft, and he views the current lull as an opportunity to slow down, remain grounded, and devote more time to family life rather than as a professional setback.
The composer is also set to play a central role in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming epic Ramayana, a project that has drawn considerable attention due to his long-anticipated collaboration with Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, marking a rare confluence of global musical traditions on a story deeply rooted in Indian cultural consciousness.
Rahman has described the collaboration as both challenging and enriching, noting that the task involves reimagining an iconic narrative for a global audience while respecting its timeless cultural essence, a process that requires unlearning familiar creative instincts and approaching the material with fresh perspective and humility.
He has further highlighted the inclusive spirit of the project, underscoring how artists from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds are coming together to present a story that transcends individual identities, and positioning the film’s music as an artistic offering from India to the world.