‘Truth about today’s India’: Mehbooba backs AR Rahman's ‘communalism’ remark after Javed Akhtar reacts

MUsic master AR Rahman's remarks almost growing “communalism” in the rural area, and how he thinks it unnatural his act, have stirred an intense debate, with politicians and movie industry professionals also weighing in.Also read: ‘Papa, I am stuck’: What Noida techie told father before drowning in ditch after car crashLatest in this is a reaction from a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti. She responded to lyricist Javed Akhtar, who reportedly dismissed Rahman's remarks and hinted he might have been misinterpreted.Also read: BJP ‘unhappy’ with BMC results despite historic sweep, reviewing what went wrong“When Javed Akhtar dismisses A.R. Rahman’s concerns about the growing communalisation of Bollywood he contradicts lived & shared realities of Indian Muslims including those of his own wife Shabana Azmi, who has openly spoken about being denied housing for being Muslim in a cosmopolitan city like Bombay. Bollywood has always been a living mini India mirroring the country’s social realities. Brushing aside such experiences does not change the truth about today’s India (sic),” Mehbooba said in a post on X. What Javed Akhtar saidAR Rahman, a noted music composer whose melodies have ornamented Indian movies for decades now, said in a recent interview with the BBC Asian Network that he has been getting lesser work due to a power shift within the Hindi film industry in last few years and said it could also be due to the "communal thing"."I'm not in search of work. I want work to come to me; the sincerity of my work to earn things. I feel it's a jinx when I go on in search of things... 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," he said in the interview.Also read: ‘Water is too cold, there are iron rods’: Witnesses allege inaction by cops after Noida techie’s death in drainResponding to his remarks, lyricist Akhtar dismissed Rahman's apprehensions and said that fewer people might be approaching him because of his tall stature in the industry."I don't agree with that, and I also doubt that he would ever say something like this. Rahman is a great composer, and a lot of people respect him. But they are scared to reach him because he is so big. They are scared to talk to him and handle him. It's a wrong assumption, though. It is out of awe and fear of him that people keep away... That humare bas ka nahi hai, yeh toh bohot bada aadmi hai ('we won't be able to handle him; he is a big shot')," Akhtar was quoted as saying by India Today.Also read: How do BMC numbers stack up? Math explained as Mumbai mayor suspense grows, Shinde Sena guards corporatorsRahman made other comments also which kicked up a row, drawing strong reactions from Bollywood stars such as actor-politician Kangana Ranaut, who lashed out at Rahman and said that she has not anyone as “prejudiced and hateful” than him in her life.Rahman, who composed the music for Vickey Kaushal-starrer Chhaava, one of the biggest box office successes of 2025, said the film was divisive and capitalised on that sentiment.