MUMBAI: Renowned Indian musician AR Rahman recently faced criticism from Bollywood actress and politician Kangana Ranaut, prompting actor Prakash Raj to defend the Oscar-winning composer amid rising tensions over freedom of artistic choice.
Kangana had attempted to label Rahman as anti-national after he declined to contribute a song for her film Emergency, a move that drew widespread attention given her controversial statements and political affiliations with the BJP.
Speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival during a discussion on “Criminalizing Dissent”, Prakash Raj expressed full support for Rahman.
He highlighted that the composer had earned acclaim and international recognition with hits like Maa Tujhe Salaam and Jai Ho, and does not need validation for his artistic choices.
Without naming Kangana directly, Raj questioned the fairness of branding an artist as anti-national merely for refusing work on a project. He also criticized the tendency to claim personal films as classics while attacking others for dissent.
Raj added that turning differences of opinion into personal vendettas and levying serious accusations like treason is a concerning trend in the industry.