- A R Rahman cited shifting power dynamics for less Hindi film work recently
- Rahman clarified his communal remarks were misunderstood in an Instagram video
- Leslee Lewis is releasing new music every two to three months for two years
AR Rahman has been trending ever since he addressed his reasoning behind the slowdown in getting work in the Hindi film industry. He attributed the change to a shift in "power dynamic" and a "communal outlook." However, he later clarified that his statements were misconstrued.
In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, legendary music composer, singer and producer Leslee Lewis, who has had a pioneering role in bringing Indie Pop to India, shared his views on the "controversy."
He says, "I really don't know because I don't know the controversy. I never spoke to him; when I speak to him, I'll ask him. But otherwise, I don't even know. I don't have time to listen to other singers, but if a song pops out where I hear a singer or a song that sounds amazing, of course, I'm listening to it, because I love music. But right now, I'm just enjoying my own music."
He adds, "I'm not enjoying myself being able to put out so many more new songs. I mean, which artist picks up a song every two months? Every two to three months, I've been putting out a new song for the last two years. And now hopefully that number is going to kind of multiply. So that's a lot of content."
Rahman's Clarification On Communal Remark
After incessant scrutiny over his remark, A.R. Rahman shared a video on Instagram on January 18, clarifying that he never intended to hurt anyone's sentiments.
"Dear friends, music has always been my way of connecting, celebrating, and honouring a culture. India is my inspiration, my teacher, and my home. I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood, but my purpose has always been to uplift, honour, and serve through music. I have never wished to cause pain, and I hope my sincerity is felt," Rahman said.
The clarification comes after Rahman said work from the Hindi film industry had slowed for him in recent years. He attributed this change to "shifting power dynamics" over the last eight years and possibly to what he described as "a communal thing" in a recent interview with the BBC Asian Network.
Elaborating on that shift, the composer added, "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.'"
Leslee Lewis On Arijit Singh Quitting Playback Singing
Leslee Lewis also shares his thoughts on Arijit Singh's announcement last month regarding quitting playback singing. He says the major heartbreak now is for the "elite fans" of the singer.
He tells NDTV, "They are going to miss their iconic singer, but from my perspective, he's the artist. He's living his life. How better can an artist live his life and make his own decisions and not have the public decide for him whether he should sing or not sing? He wanted to sing; he sang. He sang as long as he wanted. Now he doesn't want to sing. He wants to do something else. He's doing it. He can. That's his life."
Furthermore, he adds, "People can't fathom the fact that he has the guts to leave it at the peak of his career. That is commendable. And so you feel like a true artist. It's not about the money. It's not about the peak of my career. It's like, now I think I want to do something else. I'll do something else. What stops him from coming back? Nothing."
"There are so many reunion concerts that have been happening over the years. You can always come back. That option is up to me. But right now, they're probably missing in the new Bollywood, but I think it also makes room for a lot of young, other talented singers who get extra room to showcase themselves, which is great for the whole industry," concludes Leslee Lewis.
Leslee Lewis' latest release is the song Zorr Ka Dhakka fromt he film Zorr which released on Febraury 6, 2026.
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