The Maa Tujhe Salaam composer is forced to defend his patriotism , exposing how nationalism and media outrage and memory has collided in India. 

At the age of 30, AR Rahman in 1997 became one of India’s most beloved composers -singer . The music composer was the one who brought in the freshness and eagerness to create something beyond for the Indian cinema. 

The timing was also perfect when India was celebrating its 50th year of Independence and Sony Music was celebrating its entry into the Indian subcontinent.  

Vande Mataram that followed Maa Tujhe Salaam flowed out of his recording studio into the hearts of the millions .It was welcomes into the minds of the new generations making it popular as young anthem celebrating India. 

Rahman had revived the spirit of oneness of India. 

Rahman’s idea to make everyone sing Vande Mataram came true with his music that he composed. The national song was sung with pride and it went beyond religion or cast and connected the people of India no matter which class and religion they belonged too in this mother land. He believed Maa Tujhe Salaam means, I salute to you mother it was made in Tamil with the lyrics Thaai Manney Vanakkam which also worked. The song, in Rahman’s voice was picked up , sung and heard all over the country. 

When A R spoke with his music, people listened . He had started off in the cinema with the songs from Roja in 1992 . A film based on nationalism with a love story that came in the same year as the Babri Masjid demolition .  The 1994 Bombay , the film that stood the test for the communal harmony , had the most soulful kind of songs that was composed by AR Rahman. He went on to create a completely new sounds in 1993 Thiruda Thiruda and his magical melody continued with the 1994 Kadhalan. 

With his songs, he crossed borders to make Hindi music famous with his vibrancy in the 1995 film Rangeela, the rhythmical Taal in 1999.   A R Rahman was discovered by the new and fresh audience. 

AR Rahman hosts on Doordarshan.

Doordharshan hosted for the Hindi film songs, Chitrahar , he was the first one to play Tamil song on it, Konjam Nilavu from Thiruda Thiruda which was well accepted.  As the decades passed, he had accumulated a large list of mix of heady and eclectic collections in cult films such as the 1998, Dil Se, or the 2000 Alaipayudhe in, followed by Kannathil Muthamittal in 2002 , Swades in 2004, Guru in 2007, Rockstar in 2011 and Ok Kanmani in 2015.  He then was back into the composing with the films Selvan 1 and 2 in 2022 and 2023 to name a few. 

Rahman brought back to India two Oscars and two Grammys for his work in the Slumdog Millionaire in 2008 and now in 2024, his most recent was for Chamkila and Maidaan . He also gave a very soul stirring sound track music for the film Maamannan in 2023. 

In 2026 January , memories of his great work were abruptly pushed aside and a surge of hostility, some of it new which was surpressed for a long time and shadowed with the love and affection over the past few years. 

Nearly after three decades , Rahman is allowed to talk openly about the prejudice in Hindi films , he instantly found himself to be the target of the voluminous attack that the new media system has enabled. 

In one of his interviews Rahman was asked about the prejudice in Bollywood against the Tamil community, the singer composer said he was not aware of all this and that God has probably hidden this stuff from him. He acknowledged the fact that no other composer had crossed the borders and survived there except it was Illayaraja who composed music for movies that were not in the mainstream like he did.  For him, it was a huge rewarding experience that he composed his music cross country and embraced the unity and he will continue  to do so.  It’s a beautiful thing and he said he is honored and grateful for this opportunity. 

The past eight years, he added, the power shift has happened that makes people more creative and have got the power to decide. But for me he has not been a part of the communal thing that is not being told on his face. It could be Chinese whispers only !! 

The word communal was picked out and shared all over the internet to cast Rahman as someone who wronged the entertainment industry in India that painted him as an outdated musician and was accused of being grumpy over the younger and new talents.  

The creator of Maa Tuje Salaam, an anthem that ignited spirit of Unity was once again asked to reiterate his love for India. Rahman then posted a fresh video to defend himself against the unsolicited and first-time attack on him, He further stated he celebrates the freedom of expression through his multicultural voice .