AR Rahman Criticises Remix Trend: ‘Respect Original Work, Don’t Reimagine Without Permission’

October 26, 2024: Renowned composer AR Rahman has expressed his displeasure with the trend of remixing and “reimagining” old songs, as well as his concerns about the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) in music. In a recent interview, Rahman took a firm stance against these practices, emphasising the importance of respecting original compositions.

Rahman on Song Remixes The trend of remixing songs began in the late ’90s in the Hindi music industry, but it has intensified in recent years, with even relatively new songs getting remixed. Rahman, known for his original and innovative compositions, made his thoughts on the matter clear. “You can’t take a song from a movie and use it in another movie six years later, saying you are reimagining it,” he said in an interview with The Week. He argued that while reimagined songs might be acceptable for social media use, they shouldn’t be commercialised without the original creator’s permission. “You can’t reimagine people’s work without their permission. You could post it on Instagram, but certainly not make it mainstream,” said the Oscar-winning composer.

Rahman’s own works have been subject to remixes over the years. One of the most notable examples was Humma Humma from the 1995 film Bombay, which was reimagined as The Humma Song by Tanishk Bagchi and Badshah for OK Jaanu in 2017. Ironically, Rahman composed the score for OK Jaanu but was not involved in the remix of his original song.

Rahman on AI in Music The composer also shared his thoughts on the growing influence of AI in music, calling it a more significant concern. “An even bigger evil is people misusing AI and not paying the composer even if they are borrowing his style,” Rahman said. He warned that without proper regulation, AI could lead to ethical issues, including job losses for musicians. “We need to bell this cat because it could lead to major ethical issues. People could lose jobs,” he added, stressing the need for the industry to address these concerns.

Recent and Upcoming Projects Despite these challenges, Rahman continues to contribute significantly to the music world. His recent scores for the Tamil film Raayan and Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila have been widely appreciated, featuring chart-topping tracks. His upcoming projects include Chhava and Thug Life, which fans are eagerly awaiting.