'The most important thing about art is freedom': AR Rahman at London forum

As AR Rahman delivered a deeply personal and philosophical address on the closing day of India Global Forum London 2025 on June 23, he said, "The most important thing about art is freedom—you can’t do that with a film studio."The Oscar-winning composer used the platform to reflect on the evolving nature of creativity, the urgency of preserving Indian classical arts, and the complex role of artificial intelligence in music and storytelling.Rahman opened up about his growing dissatisfaction with traditional cinematic formats, saying, “In cinema for over 40 years now, I was bored with the same rectangle form. It’s just seeing and hearing—what else can we do?” This question led to the creation of Le Musk, his multisensory, immersive project that blends scent, touch, and narrative. Inspired by a conversation with his late wife, the project is now set for a year-long run in London.“Why not create a theatre experience with perfume and haptics?” he said, describing Le Musk as more than a film—an experiment in expanding the sensory boundaries of storytelling.The conversation soon turned to the future of Indian classical music. Rahman sounded the alarm on the dwindling presence of traditional instruments and artists. “Where is the next shehnai player? Where is the next Bismillah Khan Sahib?” he asked. “Unless we find them, recognise them, and let the world see them—they’ll vanish.”To address this, Rahman spoke of an initiative he’s developing—JHAALA—that aims to spotlight under-recognised classical talent through technology, global exposure, and institutional support. “We need to make the invisible visible,” he said.Rahman also offered a nuanced perspective on Artificial Intelligence. “AI is like Frankenstein—it just steals from human experiences, human knowledge, human art, and then puts together multiple thoughts. It’s copied from us.” Despite this, he encouraged artistes to use AI as a tool rather than view it as a threat. “Don’t fear it. Use it to speed up the mundane.”Rahman also pointed to global examples of cultural resurgence led by policy and collective effort. “Look at South Korea and K-pop—it emerged in the last 10 years because of government involvement and economic growth. That needs to happen with Indian music too. We need to reinvent the wheel.”Throughout the session, Rahman repeatedly returned to the idea that art must remain untethered. “True art doesn’t always fit inside formats or institutions,” he said. “It needs space to breathe.”He ended the session with a reminder of music’s transcendent power: “Music connects. It heals. It’s a shared soul. And it belongs to everyone.”