'Nice to blame me for everything’: AR Rahman reacts to Abhijeet Bhattacharya slamming him for overusing technology

AR Rahman defends himself against Abhijeet Bhattacharya's claims of undermining live instrumentation, stating he employs hundreds of musicians for his projects

Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has responded to singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya’s recent remarks accusing him of contributing to the decline of live instrumentation and promoting excessive reliance on technology in music.

After singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya criticized AR Rahman for the decline of live instrumentation, Rahman responded by emphasizing his support for musicians and the use of technology as a creative tool.

In a conversation with ANI, Abhijeet criticised Rahman for sidelining fellow artists and instrumentalists with his tech-driven approach to music production. He also held Rahman responsible for the growing trend in the industry where most work is done digitally, leaving traditional musicians without opportunities.

AR Rahman's reply to Abhijeet's claims

Rahman has now come out in his defense and said that Abhijeet is entitled to his opinion while debunking his claims in an interview with India Today.

"It's nice to blame me for everything. I still love Abhijeet, and I would send cakes to him. Also, it's his opinion, and there's nothing wrong with having one," Rahman said.

"I recently set up an orchestra with 60 women in Dubai. They are being employed every month and are being paid insurance, health, and everything. In every movie that I do, be it Chhaava or Ponniyin Selvan, there are close to 200-300 musicians involved, and some songs have more than 100 people working on them. I don't show off or post photos with them, and thus no one gets to know about it," he added.

Rahman also explained that computers are used as a tool to design extraordinary harmonies, but he can't afford to get musicians to play and reject them later. He also said that the producers he worked with can attest to how many musicians he has worked with.

AR Rahman's latest project

Rahman's last projects were Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhava in Hindi and Kadhalikka Neramillai in Tamil. He is set to compose for Aamir Khan's production Lahore 1947, Mani Ratnam's Thug Life and Aanand L Rai's Tere Ishq Mein. Rahman will also collaborate with world-renowned musician Hans Zimmer for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayan.