In a deeply personal and expansive conversation of India Global Forum London 2025 at Taj St. James’ Court last week, Oscar-winning musician A.R. Rahman urged artists, institutions and governments alike to nurture creative freedom and cultural innovation.
He said: “In cinema for over 40 years now, I was bored with the same rectangle form. It’s just seeing and hearing — what else can we do?”
That question sparked ‘Le Musk’, Rahman’s pioneering immersive project which brings scent, touch, and narrative together: “The idea came from my ex-wife who loved perfumes. I thought, why not create a theatre experience with perfume and haptics?”
Now coming to London for a year, ‘Le Musk’ is more than a film — it’s an artistic manifesto, showcasing Rahman’s continued defiance of convention.
The IGF London fireside chat turned from personal to philosophical, as Rahman explored the urgent need to preserve traditional Indian music.
“Where is the next shehnai player? Where is the next Bismillah Khan Sahib? Unless we find them, recognise them, and let the world see them — they’ll vanish. That’s where the inspiration for JHAALA came in.”
JHAALA, Rahman’s initiative to platform and preserve Indian classical arts, seeks to make the invisible visible — through technology, talent discovery, and global exposure.
On artificial intelligence (AI), Rahman struck a balanced note of caution and curiosity: “AI is like Frankenstein; it just steals from human experiences, human knowledge, human art, and then puts together multiple thoughts. It’s copied from us. And now it gets faster, because we feel with emotion —and it just runs on data.
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“We should use it for what it is: for speeding up the mundane. Don’t fear it, use it.”
Beyond technology, Rahman called for a cultural renaissance in India: “If you look at South Korea and K-pop, it emerged in the last 10 years because of government involvement and economic growth. It was a collective movement. That needs to happen with Indian music too. We need to reinvent the wheel.”
Throughout the session, one sentiment rang clear: true art is unbound by formats, expectations, or institutions.
The music maestro said: “The most important thing about art is freedom. You can’t do that with a film studio.
“Music transcends religion. It heals. It connects. It’s a shared soul.”
*Info: India Global Forum
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