N Balakrishna Clarifies Remarks on A.R. Rahman’s Awards and Religious Background

In a case of social media misinformation, claims that Telugu actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna made religiously charged comments about Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman have been found to be misleading.

Several viral posts circulating across social media platforms alleged that Balakrishna, a prominent Telugu film star and Member of the Legislative Assembly in Andhra Pradesh, claimed Rahman wins awards “because of his Islamic ideology.” These posts began gaining traction following Rahman’s recent comments about “communal prejudice” in Bollywood during a BBC Asian Network interview released on January 14.

One widely shared Facebook post featured images of both Balakrishna and Rahman with text claiming: “I don’t care who AR Rahman is, he’s just a copycat. He only gives one hit film in 10 years, and even that wins awards because of his Islamic ideology.” The post’s description further alleged that Rahman had complained about not getting work in India since a change in government.

However, a fact-check reveals that while Balakrishna did make dismissive comments about Rahman in 2021, he never mentioned the composer’s religion or suggested any ideological basis for his awards.

The actual comments came during an interview with TV9 Entertainment in July 2021, where Balakrishna was discussing music composer Ilaiyaraaja’s work on his 1991 Telugu film “Aditya 369.” During this conversation, Balakrishna did state: “Like Rahman—who is this Rahman? I don’t know. I don’t care. He gives one hit in ten years, and there is some Oscar award.”

These remarks, though dismissive of Rahman’s achievements, contained no reference to religion or ideology. The New Indian Express reported at the time that Balakrishna’s comments drew significant criticism and mockery from social media users who found his dismissal of the internationally acclaimed composer inappropriate.

Rahman, who has composed music for over 145 films across multiple languages and won numerous international awards including two Oscars, four National Film Awards, and six Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, is widely regarded as one of India’s most accomplished composers.

The misleading social media posts appear to be an attempt to connect Balakrishna’s 2021 comments with Rahman’s recent interview statements. In the BBC Asian Network interview, Rahman had addressed a question about prejudice he faced as a Tamil composer in Bollywood, suggesting that “communal” undercurrents and shifts in power dynamics had affected the industry’s creative environment.

These fabricated claims come at a time of heightened sensitivity around religious and cultural differences in the Indian entertainment industry. False attributions of communal statements to public figures can potentially inflame tensions and spread division.

No credible media reports have ever suggested Balakrishna made communally charged remarks about Rahman, and the alleged connection between the 2021 comments and Rahman’s recent interview appears to be entirely manufactured.

This case highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation on social media platforms, where out-of-context statements can be distorted and embellished with inflammatory content to generate engagement and controversy.