Mumbai, Jan 27 (IANS) Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai has responded to the ongoing debate about the communal undertones in the film industry.
He has subtly rejected the allegations made by some artists, such as A R Rahman, saying that this is an age-old phenomenon in the industry and nothing new to be discussed now.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, the 'Taal' maker said that the issue has been persistent in society for several years, and those who wish to focus on their work remain unaffected by such discussions.
Ghai was asked, "The film industry is considered to be a progressive space in general, but still, at times, there are talks about communal undertones. So what do you think, the industry is in complete insulation from these cracks in society?"
Responding to this, the 'Karma' maker shared, "See, I was born in Nagpur and did my schooling in Delhi. We used to stay in Chandani Chowk. This issue was there when I was in the 8th standard, it was still there when I went to college, and still existed when I shifted to Mumbai."
"The topic of communal harmony will always be in discussion. Communal disturbance, communal unrest, and unemployment have been discussed for the last several years and will continue to be discussed in the coming years", he added.
Ghai's statement comes amidst A R Rahman's recent comment about getting limited work offers in Bollywood.
The Oscar-winning composer shared during a media interaction, "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.”
After facing a lot of backlash, Rahman later cleared the air, saying that he did not wish to hurt anyone and feels blessed to be an Indian.
During his interaction, Ghai added that one should not try to interpret anyone's remark unnecessarily.
"Do not make it a huge issue by trying to understand the meaning of someone's single statement. People who know their work remain unaffected and continue to focus on their craft, and those who wish to do politics are doing just that", the director concluded.
--IANS
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