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‘You don’t see if the songs in Lagaan were written by a Hindu or a Muslim’: Baba Azmi doesn’t agree with AR Rahman’s communal comment

Baba Azmi, brother of Shabana Azmi, did not agree with AR Rahman’s statement about the industry becoming polarized. He said that it is ultimately a place where talent triumphs, regardless of background.

4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 08:41 PM IST

Baba Azmi disagreed with AR Rahman’s comment about Bollywood becoming polarised, citing Lagaan as an example.

AR Rahman recently made headlines when he indirectly hinted at losing work in Bollywood over the past eight years, suggesting that the industry has become increasingly communal. Naturally, such a statement was controversial, quickly dividing opinion online. Several celebrities, including Kangana Ranaut, slammed the Oscar-winning composer, while others like Javed Akhtar denied witnessing anything of the sort, but refrained from criticizing Rahman outright. The discussion grew so volatile that Rahman eventually issued an apology. By then, however, the damage had been done, and the industry and public alike were left contemplating what prompted such remarks.

Recently, veteran cinematographer Baba Azmi, brother of Shabana Azmi and son of legendary poet Kaifi Azmi, was asked whether he, as a Muslim, has experienced increasing polarization in the industry. He told Just Too Filmy: “I don’t think so. This might just be a passing phase, might be in a small percentage, but no.” When asked whether, at the end of the day, talent ultimately triumphs, he said, “Absolutely. Because when you are watching a film, you don’t think about whether it’s a Muslim person acting in it or not. Either you’re so engrossed in the story, or you don’t like the film at all.”

Citing the example of Lagaan, whose music was composed by AR Rahman and lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar, he added, “You don’t see who wrote the songs in Lagaan, that aarti. Whether it was a Muslim or a Hindu. That doesn’t matter. You are listening to it, and you either like it, period, or you don’t, period. There is nothing beyond that. At least, for now, I think we are far away from anything like that, and that’s how it should be.”

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For the unversed, AR Rahman started the discourse after he told BBC Asian Network: “Maybe I never got to know about this, maybe it was concealed, but I didn’t feel any of this. Maybe in the past eight years because a power shift has happened, and people who are not creative have the power now. It might be a communal thing also… but it is not in my face. It comes to me as Chinese whispers, that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I say good; I have more time to chill with my family. I am not in search of work. I don’t want to go in search of work. I want work to come to me; my sincerity to earn work. Whatever I deserve, I get.”

Following intense online trolling, Rahman later shared a video statement on Instagram, clarifying his position and emphasizing that he never intended to hurt anyone. In the video, he said: “India is my inspiration, my teacher, and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour, and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt. I feel blessed to be Indian, which enables me to create a space that always allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices.”

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