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ISLAMABAD: Oscar-winning Indian musician AR Rahman has suggested that a &ldquo;power shift&rdquo; in Bollywood over the past eight years, coupled with possible communal considerations, may have contributed to a sharp decline in his work in the Hindi film industry, remarks that have reignited debate over discrimination and shrinking creative freedom in India&rsquo;s cultural space.&nbsp;Speaking to the BBC Asian Network, Rahman said he did not experience discrimination when he entered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bollywood-battles-paid-reviews-and-fake-sale-claims" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bollywood</a>&nbsp;in the 1990s, but indicated that the industry&rsquo;s environment has changed significantly in recent years.&nbsp;&ldquo;People who are not creative have the power to decide things now,&rdquo; Rahman said, pointing to what he described as a takeover of artistic decision-making by non-creative forces.&nbsp;Communal factorsThe composer went on to suggest that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/india-witnessed-over-1300-events-of-hate-speech-in-2025-report" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">communal factors</a>&nbsp;may now quietly influence professional opportunities in Bollywood. While stressing that such bias was never expressed openly, Rahman said he often learned about being sidelined through indirect channels.&nbsp;&ldquo;It might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face,&rdquo; he said, explaining that he would hear, after the fact, that projects linked to him were reassigned or fragmented, with music companies bringing in multiple composers instead.&nbsp;Rahman&rsquo;s comments appear to challenge the image of Bollywood as an inclusive and merit-driven industry, raising questions about whether India&rsquo;s film sector is increasingly reflecting the country&rsquo;s broader political and i<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/indian-actor-paresh-rawal-sparks-controversy-over-taj-mahal-origins" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">deological polarization</a>.&nbsp;The 59-year-old musician, one of the few south Indian composers to successfully break into mainstream Hindi cinema, recalled that his early success came at a time when creativity, not conformity, drove the industry. His work in films such as Roja, Bombay, and Dil Se.. reshaped Hindi film music, while Taal later cemented his national stature.&nbsp;Rahman said he does not chase work and believes artistic integrity should determine opportunities, not political or communal alignment. He added that reduced assignments have at least allowed him to step back from an industry he suggested is no longer led by creative values.&nbsp;&lsquo;Chhaava cashed divisiveness&rsquo;&nbsp;In the same interview, Rahman also addressed criticism surrounding his work for Chhaava, a 2025 blockbuster accused of exploiting divisive themes. He acknowledged that the film &ldquo;cashed in on divisiveness&rdquo;, a rare admission from a leading Bollywood figure amid growing concerns that mainstream cinema is increasingly normalizing polarizing narratives.&nbsp;Rahman&rsquo;s remarks have struck a raw nerve in India&rsquo;s entertainment industry, exposing uncomfortable questions about power, prejudice, and shrinking space for dissenting voices in Bollywood.

India

Says he did not experience discrimination when he entered Bollywood in the 1990s, but indicated that the industry’s environment has changed significantly in recent years.

Indian singer AR Rahman exposes communal bias in Bollywood

LOS ANGELES: The Oscars will be available to watch exclusively on YouTube from 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.&nbsp;The new multi-year deal means Hollywood&#39;s most prestigious awards ceremony will be viewable only on streaming for the first time, ending a decades-long relationship with US broadcaster ABC.&nbsp;&quot;We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming,&quot; Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement.&nbsp;The annual Academy Awards, which celebrate the year&#39;s top achievements in film and draw the world&#39;s biggest A-list stars to a Hollywood theater, are regularly watched by around 20 million Americans and millions more globally.&nbsp;ABC&#39;s latest contract to broadcast the show had been due to end in 2028, with the 100th Academy Awards. The Disney-owned channel will continue to air the Oscars up until then.&nbsp;But the new deal with Google-owned YouTube represents a radical new direction for the show, and an industry that has long been wary about the impact of streamers on cinema.&nbsp;Hollywood has endured a challenging contraction in recent years, as it grapples with younger generations&#39; changing viewing habits.&nbsp;The most recent Oscars were viewed by 19.69 million people, a figure boosted by the ceremony being shown live simultaneously on Disney&#39;s streamer Hulu along with ABC for the first time.&nbsp;Disney said the broadcast was the most-watched Oscars in five years, although the Hulu stream was beset by technical glitches that left some viewers unable to see the final prizes.&nbsp;During the Covid-19 pandemic, Oscars ratings sank as low as 10.4 million.&nbsp;The Academy Awards telecast regularly topped 40 million just a decade ago

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From 2029, the Oscars will stream exclusively on YouTube under a multi-year deal, ending ABC’s decades-long broadcast role after 2028, reflecting Hollywood’s shift toward streaming as TV ratings decline and changing viewing habits worldwide audiences.

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Indian singer AR Rahman exposes communal bias in Bollywood

Oscars to stream exclusively on YouTube from 2029: Academy