'I don't know who AR Rahman is': When Nandamuri Balakrishna's remark raised eyebrows despite their collaboration in Nippu Ravva
Once, in a 2021 interview, Nandamuri Balakrishna had made a remark about Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman that stirred controversy. The Telugu star claimed he neither knew Rahman nor cared about his achievements. A short clip from that interview has often been discussed on social media.
Speaking to TV9, Balakrishna said, “I don’t know who Rahman is. I don’t care. Once in a decade, he gives a hit and gets an Oscar award.”
The statement had sparked strong reactions from fans of the music maestro. Many had also pointed out that AR Rahman had earlier composed the background music for Balakrishna’s 1993 Telugu film Nippu Ravva.
“India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home,” says RahmanMeanwhile, AR Rahman has been facing backlash for his recent remarks about alleged “communal” bias in the Hindi film industry. The composer’s comments have triggered intense debate across social media platforms.
Responding to the criticism, Rahman took to Instagram to share his side of the story. In a video message, he said, “Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring a culture. 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.”
He added that he feels blessed to be an Indian and to work in a space that allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices.
Video
Rahman reflects on his journey and purposeReflecting on his journey, Rahman shared how various projects strengthened his sense of purpose. He said, “From nurturing Jala presented at the Wave Summit in front of the Honourable Prime Minister and Ruhi Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians to create a string orchestra, to mentoring the Sunshine Orchestra, also building Secret Mountain, India’s first multicultural virtual band and the honour of scoring Ramayana alongside Hans Zimmer, each journey has strengthened my purpose.”
Towards the end of the video, he expressed gratitude to India and reiterated his commitment to music that “honours the past, celebrates the present and inspires the future.”
“It might have been a communal thing,” Rahman on limited Bollywood workEarlier, during an interaction with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about receiving limited offers in Bollywood. He said, “People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but 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 said, ‘Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family.’”
Speaking to TV9, Balakrishna said, “I don’t know who Rahman is. I don’t care. Once in a decade, he gives a hit and gets an Oscar award.”
The statement had sparked strong reactions from fans of the music maestro. Many had also pointed out that AR Rahman had earlier composed the background music for Balakrishna’s 1993 Telugu film Nippu Ravva.
“India is my inspiration, my teacher and my home,” says RahmanMeanwhile, AR Rahman has been facing backlash for his recent remarks about alleged “communal” bias in the Hindi film industry. The composer’s comments have triggered intense debate across social media platforms.
Responding to the criticism, Rahman took to Instagram to share his side of the story. In a video message, he said, “Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating and honouring a culture. 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.”
He added that he feels blessed to be an Indian and to work in a space that allows freedom of expression and celebrates multicultural voices.
Video
Rahman reflects on his journey and purposeReflecting on his journey, Rahman shared how various projects strengthened his sense of purpose. He said, “From nurturing Jala presented at the Wave Summit in front of the Honourable Prime Minister and Ruhi Noor, to collaborating with the young Naga musicians to create a string orchestra, to mentoring the Sunshine Orchestra, also building Secret Mountain, India’s first multicultural virtual band and the honour of scoring Ramayana alongside Hans Zimmer, each journey has strengthened my purpose.”
Towards the end of the video, he expressed gratitude to India and reiterated his commitment to music that “honours the past, celebrates the present and inspires the future.”
“It might have been a communal thing,” Rahman on limited Bollywood workEarlier, during an interaction with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about receiving limited offers in Bollywood. He said, “People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but 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 said, ‘Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family.’”
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