Manoj Muntashir rejects AR Rahman’s communal bias claim: 'India’s biggest superstars are Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan'

Lyricist and poet Manoj Muntashir has taken a firm stand against AR Rahman’s recent remarks on alleged communal bias in the Hindi film industry. In a recent interview, Manoj strongly refuted the claim, pointing to India’s biggest superstars and the industry’s long-standing inclusiveness.Speaking to IANS, Manoj cited some of India’s most iconic names to counter Rahman’s argument.“This is a country whose biggest superstars are Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. Its most celebrated writers and poets include Javed Akhtar, Sahir Ludhianvi and Majrooh Sultanpuri. This is also a country where the cricket team was captained by Mohammad Azharuddin. I don’t believe there is any discrimination in our industry,” he said.Elaborating further, Manoj challenged the notion of religious preference within the film industry’s ecosystem.“In any Hindi film, at any time, just read the opening and end credits. You will see a long list of names, almost 250 people. If you look closely, you will notice a clear pattern. I openly challenge anyone to pick any random film and show me where one particular religion has been given special importance while others were ignored. You will never find anything like that,” he stated.While maintaining respect for the Oscar-winning composer, Manoj made it clear that disagreement was necessary.“We respect AR Rahman deeply and are very proud that he belongs to our country. At the same time, with complete respect, we have the right to disagree, and I completely disagree with the claim being made, especially the suggestion that something has changed in the last eight years. I don’t understand why that time period is being highlighted,” he said.Manoj also cited recent box-office successes to underline his argument.“In the last eight years, films like Pathaan and Jawan have broken all box office records. This country has a big heart and soul. It does not judge its artists, it loves them. If you do good work, people lift you on their shoulders. Sometimes they get upset and scold you, but that closeness comes from love,” he explained.Concluding his remarks, he said, “That is the relationship between this country and its artists. Any kind of discrimination, of any sort, I completely refuse to believe. This inclusiveness is our identity.” For the uninitiated, AR Rahman has been making headlines after stating that his work in the Hindi film industry has slowed down over the past eight years due to a “power shift” and “communal” politics within the entertainment industry. Following widespread backlash, the composer shared a video message on social media apologising and clarifying that he never intended to hurt sentiments. He expressed regret if his words had caused pain to anyone.