Top News

AR Rahman Performs Vande Matram At Sold Out Concert In Abu Dhabi After His 'Communal' Remark On Bollywood Sparks Row

Shreya Pandey | January 24, 2026 11:58 PM CST

Composer AR Rahman stirred a row over his recent statement in an interview in which he blamed ‘communal’ reasons for not getting work in Bollywood and called the Vicky Kaushal movie Chhaava 'divisive’. Amid the ongoing controversy, the composer performed at the Etihad Arena in the UAE on January 23. Filmmaker Shekar Kapur also attended the concert. Several photos and videos of the concert are now viral on social media. In one particular video, the composer could be heard performing one of his classics, Maa Tujhe Salaam.

What an exhilarating concert by AR Raham at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi last night, packed to capacity

20,000 people cheering, singing , dancing and even crying to Rahman’s beautiful soulful songs .. #ARRahman #EtihadArena #concert #AbuDhabi
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) January 24, 2026

Videos of Rahman performing Vande Matram go viral

AR Rahman's Abu Dhabi concert has got the internet talking. After courting controversy over his latest remark, the composer opened his concert with his famous song, Jana Gana Mana from Mani Ratnam’s Aayutha Ezhuthu. In the 4-hour-long concert, the Oscar-winning composer crooned his famous tracks and chartbusters, including Jai Ho.

I was hoping AR Rahman would answer his critics tonight and he did.

His 2024 Abu Dhabi concert ended with Chaiyya Chaiyya and when he performed that after nearly 4 hours tonight I thought surely this is the finale. But he said wait, one last song.

And then he — and the whole… https://t.co/swLhsxJW7x pic.twitter.com/UQilaNwEsf
— Maddy Ravi (@missmaddenstein) January 23, 2026

AR Rahman started with Jana Gana Mana and ended with Vande Mataram. pic.twitter.com/YxPRHtYCsg
— TweeterPeter (@Manjunaath) January 23, 2026