As music maestro AR Rahman continued to face criticism over his remarks on what he described as a ‘communal’ undercurrent in Bollywood and his comments on ‘Chhaava’ allegedly benefiting from “divisiveness”, his daughters Khatija and Raheema publicly weighed in on the debate. Both voiced their support by endorsing a strongly worded note shared by Malayalam composer Kailas Menon, who urged people to “disagree, don’t disgrace” Rahman.Kailas took to Instagram to post a screenshot of a comment that labelled Rahman a “disgrace to Tamil Nadu and India.” Responding to the abuse, he wrote, “Disagree, don’t disgrace. People blaming A. R. Rahman for speaking his mind are missing a basic point. He spoke about how he felt. That is his right.”
He further expressed that Rahman was merely expressing his personal experience, adding, “You may disagree with him, but you cannot deny him the freedom to express his experience. What followed, however, has gone far beyond disagreement and entered the space of abuse and character assassination.”Calling out the nature of the attacks directed at the Oscar-winning composer, Kailas noted, “Calling a globally respected artist a ‘disgrace’, questioning his faith, mocking his recent works, and reducing his lived experience to a ‘victim card’ is not criticism. It’s hate speech presented as opinion.” He also reminded readers that Rahman is “not a random voice” but an artist “who carried Indian music to the world, represented the country with dignity, and shaped generations through his work”.Further elaborating on Rahman’s legacy, Kailas wrote, “Decades of contribution to Tamil culture, Indian cinema, and global music do not disappear because an artist expresses a personal view.” He continued, “You may debate his opinion on a film. You may disagree with his interpretation. That’s fair. What is not fair is public humiliation or attacking his integrity to silence what he said. Freedom of speech applies to Rahman as much as it applies to his critics.“He concluded his note by stating, “Criticism is fine, but outrage without respect says more about us than about him.”Rahman’s daughter Khatija, who is also a composer and singer, reacted to the post with clapping, fire, hundred and heart emojis and re-shared Kailas’ message on her Instagram Stories, signalling her agreement. She also posted a separate note that read, “Dear God, bless my friends who checked in on me without wanting anything in return. Return that love to them multiplied and bless everything they touch.”Rahman’s younger daughter, singer Raheema, also amplified Kailas’ post on her Instagram Stories in support of her father. Meanwhile, his son Ameen has not yet made any public comment on the ongoing controversy.
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