RGV clarifies remarks on AR Rahman: “I’m being misquoted”

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman recently found himself at the center of controversy following an interview with the BBC. In the interaction, Rahman hinted at the possibility of communal bias in Bollywood after recent power shifts, suggesting that it may have impacted the kind of opportunities he received. His comments sparked strong reactions online, with many netizens criticizing him.

As the debate intensified, social media users resurfaced old video interviews of filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, where he spoke about working with Rahman during Rangeela and Daud.

In those interviews, RGV recalled how he would pamper Rahman and engage him in conversations about faith to bring out the best tunes. He also spoke about the iconic “Jai Ho” tune, which later won Rahman an Oscar.

However, Ram Gopal Varma has now clarified that his statements are being taken out of context. He stressed that he never implied Rahman took credit for “Jai Ho” or that the composition belonged to someone else.

Clarifying the issue, RGV tweeted:

“To all concerned, I am being misquoted and misread out of context in the matter of the Jai Ho song. In my view, @arrahman is the greatest composer and the nicest human being I ever met, and he’s the last person to take away anybody’s credit. I hope this puts an end to the negativism surrounding the issue.”

Notably, Ram Gopal Varma introduced AR Rahman to Bollywood with Rangeela, after which the composer went on to dominate and redefine Hindi film music.