Rani Mukerji REACTS to AR Rahman's 'Communal' comment; says, 'Bollywood is most secular place'

Rani Mukerji, who is currently promoting 'Mardaani 3', shared her thoughts about the ongoing topic of communal bias in the Hindi film industry. It all started after AR Rahman, in his recent interview, shared that he didn't get much work in Bollywood due to "communal" reasons. Now, the actress disagreed with the music composer's comments. Let's take a look at it.In an interview with DD News, Rani Mukerji shared, "Bollywood is the most secular place, and I truly believe that. There is no discrimination based on caste or religion." The actress, who completed three decades of her career, further expressed, "In my 30 years in the industry, I have never experienced anything like this. I love this industry—it made me who I am today."Rani Mukerji went on to say that "merit matters." The actress stated that a person's work speaks more than anything. She added, "Ultimately, the person the audience connects with is the one who survives and succeeds."She concluded her answer, saying that for her, "Bollywood remains the most secular and one of the most amazing places to be."Also See: Amid AR Rahman’s ‘communal bias’ remark, son AR Ameen says, ‘My dad’s legacy has reached a place no one can imagine’In an interview with BBC Asian Network, AR Rahman shared that he has not been getting much work in the Hindi film industry for the last 10 years due to "communal" reasons. He said, "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face."The music maestro faced backlash for his statement on the internet. Later, he apologized stating that he didn't want to hurt anybody. Directed by Abhiraj Minawala, the film stars Rani Mukerji as Shivani Shivaji Roy. It also features Mallika Prasad as the main antagonist. The movie was released in theaters today on January 30, 2026. It has opened to mixed reactions from the audience.