AR Rahman says his values are different from 'lesbian movie' Fire: Not what I stand for

AR Rahman recently revealed that he makes it a point to not let his personal beliefs get in the way of his professional growth and commitments. Commenting on Fire (1996), for which he scored the music, Rahman stated how even though he does not align with the message of the film, he nonetheless composed for it as he does "stand for humanity". He also cited the example of the upcoming Ponniyin Selvan 2, which portrays violence - but he has composed music for it nonetheless.

AR Rahman on Fire

Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das-starrer Fire was a controversial release back in 1996. It portrayed intimate relations between two married women, related through their marriage to brothers. Commenting on the film more than two decades after its release, AR Rahman stated how though he personally does not stand for the pro-LGBTQIA+ message of the film, he composed for it nonetheless as he felt Azmi's character had an important message to relay to the world. He thus, composed for the film on the grounds of humanity as he felt the world needed to hear that message.

“As a personal choice, what I stand for is different. Even when I did Fire, it was a lesbian movie. Those are not my values or what I stand for but I feel like I can stand for humanity. When somebody I pushed to a core… I felt like I needed to do the movie because she is trying to say something important,” Rahman said as per Gallatta Plus.

AR Rahman draws a parallel to PS2

To better explain his point, AR Rahman also brought up his latest film, Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan 2. A period drama, Ponniyin Selvan has war sequences. Rahman explained that though he does not stand for violence he has still composed for the film. 

Rahman also went on to comment on the fact that these paradoxes do not faze him as he has seen it all in life. The Oscar-winning music composer shared that as an industry professional, it is his job to keep up with all kinds of films. He also reflected on how he had the awareness that he would have to contend with several kind of films, and so the clash between the personal and the professional does not bother him.