A R Rahman Responds to Allegations Made by Indian Singer Abhijeet

Recently, Indian singer Abhijeet slammed Indian composer A. R. Rahman for his excessive use of technology in music creation during an interview with ANI.

He also accused Rahman of using digital tools, which, according to him, has led to traditional musicians losing their jobs. Abhijeet further blamed Rahman for the decline of live instrumentation in modern music.

In response, A. R. Rahman calmly addressed the allegations in an interview with India Today. He said, “It's nice to blame me for everything.”

Rahman continued, “I recently set up an orchestra with 60 women in Dubai. They are employed every month, and are provided with insurance, health benefits, and everything. In every movie I do, whether it’s Chhaava or Ponniyin Selvan, there are close to 200-300 musicians involved, and some songs have more than 100 people working on them. I don’t show off or post photos with them, and that’s why no one gets to know about it.”

“The more you refine in music, the more you start to appreciate live music. Computers are used as a tool to design extraordinary harmonies and everything. We cannot afford to get musicians to play and reject them later. All rejections happen in the soft part, and all final recordings are always done live. Anyone can check with the producers I have worked with to see how many musicians are involved,” he added with a smile.

Known for his innovative use of technology, Rahman blends acoustic and digital sound elements, seamlessly merging Indian classical music, folk, Sufi music, electronic music, and world music.

A. R. Rahman will soon be back with his global tour, ‘Wonderment’, with the premiere show scheduled for May 3. Some of his upcoming projects include Aamir Khan's production 'Lahore 1947', Mani Ratnam's 'Thug Life', and Aanand L Rai's 'Tere Ishq Mein'.