AR Rahman Criticised For Promoting Main Parwaana Song Amid Chennai Floods

Ocscar-winning music composer AR Rahman, who is revered in the music industry, has found himself caught amidst another controversy since the release of the movie Pippa. Recently, the musical maestro was criticised on social media for launching and promoting during the Chennai floods due to Cyclone Michaung.

On Tuesday, Cyclone Michaung battered the South Indian coastal cities with intense winds and torrential rains which led to floods and killed at least 13 people. Villages and roadways are submerged in water, electricity has been cut off from many places and the rescue relief teams have been on their toes to save lives. The ‘severe’ category cyclone made its landfall near Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh. People on social media have been updating about the status of the state and seeking help. Meanwhile, AR Rahman’s timing of his promotion of the song has irked social media.

On the microblogging site X (formerly known as Twitter), AR Rahman wrote, “Embrace the rhythm and let the vibrant beats of Main Parwaana guide your dance.” The promotional stunt was to create hype for the movie Pippa but it ended up facing backlash as the internet questioned the timing.

A user wrote, “Whoever AR Rahman’s PR is… He should be immediately sacked. No sense of timing.”

Another comment when translated to English read, “Promoting song during Chennai floods is the worst timing.”

“See this guy, people are suffering in the rain, he is promoting his song. Heartless man.”

Previously, the singer came under fire after social media slammed him for using a rendition of Bengali poet Mr Kazi Nazrul Islam’s patriotic song Karar Oi Louho Kopat for the movie Pippa. The producers apologised by releasing a statement on social media and clarified that it was an artistic interpretation and they had acquired all the necessary rights “the estate of the Late Mr Kazi Nazrul Islam”.

Pippa was released on Amazon Prime Video on November 10. It is a war story with 1971 Bangladesh’s liberation as its backdrop. It is directed by Raja Krishna Menon and produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur. Pippa stars Ishaan Khatter, Mrunal Thakur, Priyanshu Painyuli and Soni Razdan in important roles and is based on Captain Balram Singh Mehta of India’s 45 Cavalry regiment.