Recently the Mozart of Madras, the one who created a musical storm with 2 Oscars, 2 Grammys, 1 Bafta and 1 Golden Globe was in the news for all the wrong reasons.

But before I spell out his melodious and harmonious achievements, I have a word for the trolls. Please guys, at least have the decency to spell his name right. It is AR Rahman and not Rehman. Even if both names stem from the Arabic roots of ‘r-h-m; even if the vowels and phonetics don’t matter; even if both represent the same attributes of ‘Mercy’ and ‘Compassion’, sometimes spellings do matter.

I’ll tell you why. The other day, when I wanted to exit a program, the AI asked me if I wanted to ‘exist’. I was not sure whether I should click on ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. So yes! Spelling matters especially when you face an ‘existential’ crisis :-}.

Back to Rahman- the musician whose catchy composition of ‘Jai Ho’ became the toast of every Indian town across the globe. With an urgent, atmospheric and magical feel, the song was played on every victorious event, with the drums of the past mingling with the blasting horns of the present.

Rahman- the mystic who made even the staunchest of atheists a believer with his spiritual symphony of ‘Kun Faya Kun’, as the Sufi saints swirled around dancing to its tune in every spiritual event.

Rahman- the Son of India, who to commemorate the occasion of our Golden Jubilee, composed his album ‘Vande Mataram’ by singing ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’- a modern patriotic anthem that was a musical celebration of our cultural Unity, Diversity and National Pride. It was a ‘Salaam’ like no other, a blend of heartfelt reverence with powerful vocals, symbolizing Love and Gratitude. A masterpiece that defined an expression of devotion towards one’s motherland, giving all her children goose bumps every time we heard it.

Rahman- son of R.S.Shekhar,a composer and conductor who exposed his child to music from a young age and died an untimely death.

Rahman- whose mother Karima Begum (Kasthuri) played a crucial role in nurturing his musical talent, by walking with him throughout his musical journey, even renting out his father's equipment and later encouraging him to drop out of school to pursue music full-time.

Rahman- a practicing Hindu, whose family was influenced by Sufism, later converted to Islam under the guidance of a Sufi peer, thus turning a Dilip Kumar into Allah Rakha Rahman.

In a recent interview when Rahman said that the ‘power dynamics had shifted in the last few years’, surprisingly all his musical abilities were forgotten. He was told by Arnab to stop ‘milking nationalism’. The rest of the trolls descended on him calling him, what else but ‘Anti National’. The contract was simple.

‘You can sing all you want about Unity’ they said, ’but don’t talk about the Fractures’.

‘You can compose Peace my dear Man, but don’t comment on the Tensions’.

‘You can bring home Oscars and all that jazz but don’t murmur about any ‘Chinese Whispers’.

‘You can give us melodies, not advice; heal us not prescribe; entertain us, not question; give us goose bumps and the chest thumping Anthems, but please keep your experiences to yourself!’

‘You can be a silent Muslim. Don’t think out loud and become a talking one.’

And so the ‘Revolutionary’ had to take a U turn and sing another song. This time it was an apologetic number to clarify how Indian he is. I guess, like most celebrities, he knew the ‘password’ to safety and managed to say the ‘Code’ to steer clear from controversies. It was painful to watch him dip his lyrical hands in the New Washing Machine of moral decay, and wash them off.

It was practically like holding up an invisible sign that said:

‘Sorry guys. It was just an unguarded slip of the mind. Please don’t boycott your son of the soil.’

Then he dropped the dumbest bombshell of logic when he went on to comment about ‘Chava’. ‘Yes, I think ‘Chava’ was a divisive movie’ he said, ‘but people aren’t foolish. They have an internal conscience telling them to recognize truth from manipulation. People do not get influenced by propaganda movies.’

SERIOUSLY? As far as I can see, people have been influenced by fictional narratives by learning to walk, and stalk like ‘Animals’. Blind Devotees have cried and even died for their Fictional Filmi Gods. They have copied the styles, the slangs, the swagger and the bangs of their heroes. You don’t think they will not copy the Hate and Violence?

And amidst the chaos, the noise and the shameless parade of insecurity, the spineless industry called Bollywood remained silent. All those charismatic heroes who scream ‘Inquilab’ on screens; who clash with the systems and sing uprising in their dialogues; and who swear brotherhood in the script- all of them were all playing Chinese Whisper.

All the ‘soft powers’ crumbled under the weight of fear and cowardice. Men who can fight 50 villains on screen did not even have the guts to fight a single tweet. Why? Because their love for the nation stops exactly where their tax audit begins!

Anyway, what else can you expect in a nation where Amartya Sen has to prove he is an Indian. Or a Shankaracharya has to establish the fact that he is a Shankaracharya. Or when even a Hindu has to attest that he is a Hindu to other Hindus in a country called Hindustan. And when this happens, the catchphrase ‘Hindu Khatre Mein Hai’ stops being just a slogan. It becomes a dangerous reality.

So how exactly have the dynamics changed? When any creative ‘Slumdogs’ of the nation have an opposing ideology; when they speak out their minds even in a subtle way; they also have to keep proving their Nationalism. Again and again and again! For the ‘Millionaires’ however, the rules don’t matter. Jai Ho!

Nargis Natarajan writes satire and is also a commentator on social issues. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.

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