Jaaved Jaaferi reacts to A. R. Rahman’s statement: ‘Values are changing’

Mumbai, Jan 21 (LatestNewsX) Actor Jaaved Jaaferi, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film ‘Mayasabha’, has spoken up on the changes in the industry.

The actor spoke with LatestNewsX during the promotions of ‘Mayasabha’, and shared insights into the changes that he has seen in the industry in his career of over 4 decades. Jaaved has worked across different roles in the industry, and he feels that the industry is driven by changes like everything else in this world.

When asked if he has sensed anything similar to the claims made by the Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer A. R. Rahman about religious discrimination in the industry, he subtly drifted the conversation towards larger industry practices.

The actor said, “Industry has changed like the world has changed. Digital. AI. The world is changing. Fashion is changing, food is changing. Values are changing. Obviously, the narrative is changing. I just came to know recently that the attention span of Gen Z or Alpha is 6 seconds”.

He further mentioned, “Channel heads says that if you cannot capture it in 6 seconds, it’s gone. It’s how rapidly we are changing. That’s it. Fine. There has been some structure. There have been some opportunities. You can narrate a story in long-format, in a film, you get limited time. There are choices but at the same time, there is business. There are numbers. You are making a project. Not a film”.

Meanwhile, the controversy around A. R. Rahman erupted after his statement in a recent interview about his experience working in the Hindi film industry. During a recent interaction with BBC Asian Network, Rahman spoke about getting limited work offers in Bollywood.

He suggested that over the past eight years, a shift in power dynamics and “communal” factors, meaning issues tied to religion, regional identity, and industry politics, may have influenced the types of opportunities he received in Bollywood. His comments sparked a strong public and media backlash, with many interpreting his words as implying discrimination or bias within the industry.

Following the uproar, Rahman issued a video clarification, stressing that his intentions were misunderstood and that he “never meant to hurt anyone”. He described India as his inspiration and reaffirmed that his music is rooted in unity and cultural celebration.

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