Shaan Reacts To A.R. Rahman Interview: ‘I Don’t Think There’s Any Communal Angle"

Playback singer Shaan has firmly dismissed any suggestion of a “communal” bias behind A.R. Rahman’s recent comments on the slowdown of his work in the Hindi film industry.

Rahman, in an interview with BBC Asian Network, had reflected on the changing dynamics of Bollywood, saying that explanations for his reduced presence often reached him indirectly,something he described as “Chinese whispers.” The Oscar-winning composer noted that while decision-making power has increasingly shifted to non-creative stakeholders, he could not rule out the possibility of a communal factor, though he stressed that it was never expressed openly to him.

“People who are not creative have the power now to decide things. This might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face,” Rahman said, adding that he often hears second-hand accounts of projects being restructured or expanded to include multiple composers. “I just tell myself, ‘That’s great, I can chill out with my family.’”

Reacting to Rahman’s remarks, Shaan told IANS that a slowdown in work is not unique to any one individual and should not be viewed through a communal lens.

“I’m standing in front of you, and I’m also not getting much work,” Shaan said candidly. “I’ve been singing for so many years. But I don’t think too much about it because it’s personal. Everyone has their own likes and thoughts, and how much work we get is not in our hands.”

Emphasising perspective over speculation, Shaan added that longevity in music depends on consistency and quality rather than external narratives. “Whatever work you get, do it well. Whatever work Mr Rahman gets carries his signature style, and that’s why his fan base isn’t shrinking, it’s growing.”

Rejecting the idea of any communal angle altogether, Shaan said the music industry does not operate that way. “I don’t think there is any minority or communal bias in music. If that were true, our biggest superstars, who’ve belonged to the minority for over 30 years, wouldn’t continue to grow in popularity.”

His message was clear and unequivocal: “Do good work, make good music, and don’t overthink the rest.”