AR Rahman Speaks Out Against India's Oscar Selection Process, Advocates for Stronger Film Submissions

The renowned composer AR Rahman recently made the surprising claim that India was sending the wrong movies to the Oscars. Three films—The Elephant Whisperers, RRR, and All That Breathes—were nominated for Academy Awards this year, and two of them won the coveted prize. This assertion was made by the Grammy-winning and Academy Award-winning music genius while speaking with the artist L Subramaniam.

"Occasionally, I observe that despite being nominated for an Oscar, our films are unsuccessful. The Oscars are receiving the wrong films. And I'm like, DON'T," he remarked, according to a report in The Indian Express. We must put ourselves in the shoes of others, he said. To understand what is going on, I must put myself in the position of a Westerner. To understand what they are doing, I need to be in their position.

The musical guru also discussed his career path in the music business, saying, "I entered during a moment of technical transition. I had plenty of time to try new things and fail. Because everything took place in the studio, no one knew about my failure; they could only see my achievement. We continued doing it and returning. The independence I gained from having a home studio, then

Why can't they listen to our music as we do when we listen to theirs? he continued. Better production, higher quality, greater distribution, and better mastering became my new "why," and it is still what motivates me.

The Elephant Whisperers, an Indian documentary, won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film, while SS Rajamouli's RRR won for Best Original Music for the song Naatu Naatu. Everything That Breathes, a documentary by Shaunak Sen, did not win an Academy Award, though.