There is renewed debate in Bollywood after Oscar-winning music composer A. R. Rahman talked about religious discrimination and loss of influence in the industry. Rani Mukerji responded that in her 30 years of working in the Bollywood film industry, she has never experienced religious discrimination.
Recently in interviews, AR Rahman said that currently, individuals who are not creatively connected are influencing large decisions in the industry. He also suggested that there may be a communal bias that's influencing hiring decisions, but added to clarify that he has never been expressly shown such bias.
Rani Mukerji countered the singer’s remarks by saying “Bollywood is the most secular place, and I truly believe that. There is no discrimination based on caste or religion. In my 30 years in the industry, I have never experienced anything like this. I love this industry - it made me who I am today. I am saying this from the bottom of my heart: here, merit matters.”
The Mardaani 3 actress also stated that success in Bollywood is based on connecting with an audience as well as individual ability. She further said that “Your work speaks for you, and ultimately, the person the audience connects with is the one who survives and succeeds. For me, Bollywood remains the most secular and one of the most amazing places to be.”
The Dil Se Re singer recently spoke about how his work has been influenced and has often come from third parties. In a recent podcast, 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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