'The famous rarely face difficulties': Taslima Nasreen criticises AR Rahman's claims
The composer recently said he may have lost Bollywood work due to his religion, though he later clarified he meant no offence.
The ongoing debate over AR Rahman's claims of communal bias in Bollywood has taken a new turn, with writer-author Taslima Nasreen joining the discussion. The celebrated composer recently suggested that he may have lost work in the Hindi film industry because of his religion. While Rahman later clarified that he did not intend to hurt anyone, his remarks sparked widespread discussion on social media.
Following reactions from lyricist Javed Akhtar and actor Kangana Ranaut, Taslima Nasreen weighed in, citing examples of superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Aamir Khan to challenge Rahman's argument, reports The Indian Express.
On her X handle, she wrote: "AR Rahman is a Muslim and extraordinarily famous in India. His remuneration, as far as I know, is higher than that of most other artists. Yet he claims he is not given work in Bollywood because he is a Muslim. Shah Rukh Khan remains the Badshah of Bollywood; Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi – all are superstars. The famous and wealthy rarely face difficulties anywhere."
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Drawing from her own experiences, Taslima added, "Difficulties do not depend on religion, caste, or community. They happen to poor people like me. Even though I am a strict atheist, my name leads people to assume I am Muslim. Anti-Muslim sentiment does not distinguish between believers and atheists. Landlords refuse to rent me apartments. Hospitals deceive me, even performing unnecessary procedures. I face harassment in Hyderabad, cannot enter Aurangabad, and I am pushed out of West Bengal."
Reflecting on her life in India, she continued: "These problems are far removed from AR Rahman's life or that of Muslim stars in Bollywood. I am not a citizen. Yet as a resident, the law grants me nearly all the same rights, except voting. Many citizens live abroad for reasons other than love; I stay because I love this country. I never deviate from my principles and ideals."
Taslima Nasreen also criticised misconceptions about atheism in India, writing, "After challenging the core of Islam, I live in exile, yet people still assume I celebrate Eid or practise polygamy. Most people here hardly understand atheism or the humanism it represents."
She concluded by acknowledging Rahman's wide appeal across communities. "There is little I can do. The people of this land are my own. The culture of this soil is my culture too. AR Rahman is revered by Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, atheists, and believers alike. He does not need pity."
