Top News

AR Rahman featured as a guest in the latest weekend episode of Kapil Sharma's Netflix show. During a light-hearted segment involving the show’s popular whisper game, Rahman also remarked that the game captures how messages can lose their original meaning as they pass from one person to another

Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and BJP MLA Nitesh Rane criticised Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman's appearance on Kapil Sharma's Netflix show, The Great Indian Kapil Show. This comes after Rahman allegedly hinted at communal bias in the Hindi film industry during one of his latest interviews.

Taking to his official X account on Sunday (February 1), Rane stated that Rahman's remarks hurt sentiments of several Indians and opposed his appearance on the show.

"When it comes to comedy, Kapil Sharma’s name naturally comes to mind, and The Great Indian Kapil Show has gained immense popularity both in India and abroad. However, some controversial statements made by AR Rahman have hurt the sentiments of India, its history, and the Hindu community. In such a situation, we strongly oppose the decision to give him a platform on such a major stage," Rane wrote in Hindi.

He added, "Freedom of entertainment is acceptable, but public sentiment, the feelings of the Hindu community, and national unity must be given priority. We expect Netflix and the show’s makers to reconsider this decision and respect social sensitivity. Comedy is welcome, but no compromise on India’s integrity, cultural identity, and Hindutva is acceptable."

Rahman featured as a guest in the latest weekend episode of Kapil's show. During a light-hearted segment involving the show’s popular whisper game, Rahman remarked that the game captures how messages can lose their original meaning as they pass from one person to another.

"This is a good exercise to see how information gets misunderstood. Different states, different cultures. The problem with the world is this, how messages get corrupted on the way," Rahman said.

Rahman’s visit to the comedy show was part of the promotional run for his upcoming project, Gandhi Talks, a silent film directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar. He was joined by the film’s cast, including Vijay Sethupathi, Aditi Rao Hydari and Siddharth Jadhav.

AR Rahman's controversial statement

Rahman made the remark during an interview with BBC Asian Network, where he opened up on his experiences as a Tamil composer working in Bollywood. He spoke about projects slipping away despite initial discussions and suggested that decisions were often influenced by those without creative backgrounds. He also mentioned that while communal factors may not have been overt, he had heard about them through indirect conversations.

Following the backlash over his comments, Rahman issued a clarification on social media. In a video message, he reaffirmed his respect for India, calling it his home and inspiration. He acknowledged that his words may have been misunderstood and clarified that his intention was never to hurt sentiments but to serve and uplift through his music.