Renowned composer AR Rahman has reflected on the changing nature of the Hindi film industry, saying that the volume of work coming his way has declined in recent years amid what he described as a shift in decision-making power and, possibly, an undercurrent of communal bias.

In an interview with the BBC Asian Network, the Oscar-winning musician spoke candidly about his experiences in Bollywood across different phases of his career.

Responding to a question on whether artistes from Tamil Nadu or those outside Maharashtra faced prejudice when he entered the Hindi film industry in the 1990s, Rahman said he did not encounter such bias at the time.

However, he suggested that the ecosystem has changed over the years in ways that are not always visible.

“Maybe God concealed all this stuff. For me, I never felt any of those. Maybe I never get to know of this, maybe it was concealed. I didn’t feel any of this earlier. Maybe in the past eight years, because the power shift has happened. People who are not creative have the power to decide things now,” he said.

Rahman noted that the change has been subtle rather than explicit.

“It 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,” he said, indicating how decisions are sometimes communicated indirectly.

The composer also made it clear that he does not chase projects and prefers work to come to him naturally.

“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,” he said, adding that a lighter workload has allowed him to spend more time with his family.

Reflecting on his journey, the 59-year-old pointed out that he was among the earliest composers from south India to break into mainstream Hindi cinema.

“It’s a whole new culture. No other South Indian composer till then,” he said.

While acknowledging that Ilaiyaraaja had composed for Hindi films earlier, Rahman noted that those projects were outside the mainstream.

“For me to cross and them embracing me was a hugely rewarding experience.”

“I was still an outsider with these three films, but Taal became famous in every household. It entered the kitchen of everybody’s house,” he said.

He also spoke about advice he received from Ghai on the importance of language.

“I never spoke Hindi, and it was difficult for a Tamil person to learn Hindi because we have such an attachment to Tamil,” Rahman said, adding that he went a step further by learning Urdu, which he described as “the mother of Hindi music of the 60s and 70s.”

In the same interview, Rahman addressed his earlier comments on composing music for Chhaava, a film that drew criticism for its divisive undertones. Acknowledging the concerns, he said, “It is a divisive film. I think it capitalised on divisiveness,” while also noting that the film sought to depict courage.

“Do you really think people get influenced by films so easily? They have an internal conscience that tells them what truth and what manipulation is,” he added.