admin
3 min readNew DelhiJan 30, 2026 09:15 PM IST
AR Rahman’s recent remark about “communal bias” in the Hindi film industry has sparked widespread debate, with several members of the entertainment fraternity weighing in on the issue. The latest to react is singer-composer Amaal Malik, who said that while he understands the larger point Rahman was trying to make, he does not agree with the communal angle attached to it.
In a conversation with Faridoon Shahryar, Amaal explained, “From an industry perspective, what he has said is largely correct. However, I do not agree with the communal aspect of it. Forget nepotism and groupism — today, every label is comfortable working with its own set of artistes. They promote those artistes because they bring revenue. In today’s time, labels have become the real decision-makers.”
Elaborating further, Amaal added, “This is the era of management and agencies. There is groupism, both in good and bad ways. You can see how Mani Ratnam sir works almost exclusively with Rahman sir, or how Anurag Basu mostly collaborates with Pritam da. I once told Anurag Basu sir that I love his work, and he said he only thinks in Pritam’s musical language. These creative synergies naturally form. Labels are comfortable with their artistes — and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if someone is making better music, they should be given priority, whether it’s AR Rahman or a newcomer.”
ALSO READ | Dhurandhar’s Rambha Ho fever continues as Kalpana Iyer recreates her iconic song at 70. Watch video
Speaking about the changing ecosystem of the music industry, Amaal Mallik pointed out that even top composers face limitations. “The industry wants to work with big names like AR Rahman and Pritam da. There are only a few such composers, yet none of them are working as much as Pritam da. There are several big composers and many newcomers too. It’s not about targeting anyone. Over the last 15 years, a new system has come into place where labels prefer to stick to their own artistes and won’t wait for anyone to say yes — not even me or AR Rahman. That’s just how things work today. And if AR Rahman can’t challenge this system, how can someone like me?”
He further clarified that AR Rahman’s statement should not be seen as insecurity. “The only way forward is to focus on making good music. I don’t run behind doing 15 films at a time. I understand what he is trying to say. This is not AR Rahman’s insecurity — he is far too big for that. He is only showing the tip of the iceberg. He is pointing out that even someone of his stature can be sidelined. The bigger players today have a bigger say and are overpowering the system.”
Meanwhile, several prominent voices from the industry — including Rani Mukerji, Kangana Ranaut, Javed Akhtar, and Manoj Muntashir — have publicly disagreed with AR Rahman’s remarks, further intensifying the ongoing debate.
