The Indian film industry has recently found itself at the center of a heated debate after comments made by legendary music composer AR Rahman. However, amidst the growing backlash, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has stepped forward to defend the Oscar winner, suggesting that AR Rahman’s words may have been misunderstood.

Imtiaz Ali, who has shared a long and successful creative partnership with Rahman on films like Rockstar and most recently Amar Singh Chamkila, addressed the situation in a recent interview. He firmly dismissed the idea of communal bias within the industry and voiced his support for the musician.

Imtiaz stated, “No, I don’t think there is a communal bias in the film industry. I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve never seen it, and AR Rahman is one of the brightest figures that I’ve met in the film industry.” He further clarified his stance by adding, “I do not actually believe that he made all the comments that are being attributed to him, or maybe it’s been misconstrued. In fact, I know that he did not say exactly what is being perceived. Also, I don’t remember of a single incident where there was any communal bias or animosity.”

The controversy began when AR Rahman, during an interview with BBC Asian Network, was asked about experiencing prejudice in Bollywood. He said that while he personally hadn’t felt it in the past, things might have changed recently.