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A.R. Rahman: Criticism has become more harsh and dangerous now

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Sep 29, 2017 04:27 PM IST

Oscar-winning musician A.R. Rahman says he treats criticism like a process instead of getting affected by it.

Music composer A.R. Rahman is quite optimistic about the surge of independent music in India. “The past three years have been a great process and a lot of good artists have come up. The good thing about it is that their music is getting recognised and they are getting the attention that they probably even deserve. I have also promoted a few artists, whether on social media, or with me during live shows. So, it is a good time for them right now,” Rahman told us, while he was promoting his film, One Heart, in Delhi, recently.

But the 50-year-old composer does have a piece of advice for these upcoming musicians. He wants them to compose music in their “native” language, instead of writing songs in English. “I have done two albums independently, so far. Both of them have been in English. But say, if my second album, Infinite Love, has a million hits on YouTube, an album written in a native language will have 10 million hits in two days. That’s the beauty and power of making music in [one’s] native language,” he says.

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“There’s nothing wrong if you make it in English. I have done two projects in English, and I am grateful that I got the opportunity to make it. But making songs in one’s native language will only help one get more attention,” adds Rahman.

The Oscar-winning composer warns musicians against getting affected by harsh criticism, and advises them to take it with a pinch of salt. “Things have become worse now, and more dangerous, with people on Twitter and Facebook. But then, I use it as a process, and don’t get affected by it anymore. I mean, whatever I have done or achieved, doesn’t come by fluke. So, for example, [if] I make a song that people don’t like, I bring it to the stage, arrange it differently and make sure that people like it. That’s how I look at it,” he says.

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