Exclusive: AR Rahman reflects on how storytelling and artistic choices have shifted in the movie industry
AR Rahman
Known for his transformative impact on music over the decades, AR Rahman has voiced concerns about the evolving creative landscape in the film industry. Reflecting on how storytelling and artistic choices have shifted, in a chat with BT the Oscar-winning composer said, 'In the past, there was a certain innocence in filmmaking—and that was beautiful,' Rahman said.
'Today, filmmakers are more calculated, with pre-set ideas. It is a good thing that they know what they want, but the bad thing is ideas are being repeated because they want something which already exists. And they are happy with it. That is one of the reasons why remixes have come in. They know that the song is familiar to the audience which makes it easy to get their attention.'
Rahman lamented the dominance of safe, formulaic storytelling, warning that it stifles innovation and freshness. He emphasised that this trend is not limited to Bollywood but is also prominent in Hollywood. He said, 'Audiences who expect newness, innovation and something which should be like a breath of fresh air are being choked with repetitive stuff and with ideas which are contrived and safe. This isn't just an Indian issue—it's happening in Hollywood too.
They just want the money to come in. That is where Indie movies come in (where they take risks and value originality).'
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