“The Most Important Thing About Art is Freedom,” says AR Rahman at IGF London 2025
Oscar-winning composer on scent cinema, AI, and the reinvention of Indian music tradition
LONDON, June 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In a deeply private and expansive dialog on the last day of India International Discussion board London 2025 at Taj St. James’ Courtroom, Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman urged artists, establishments, and governments alike to nurture artistic freedom and cultural innovation.
“In cinema for over 40 years now, I used to be tired of the identical rectangle type,” Rahman confessed. “It’s simply seeing and listening to—what else can we do?” That query sparked Le Musk, Rahman’s pioneering immersive challenge which brings scent, contact, and narrative collectively. “The concept got here from my ex-wife who liked perfumes. I believed, why not create a theatre expertise with fragrance and haptics?”
Now coming to London for a 12 months, Le Musk is greater than a movie—it’s a creative manifesto, showcasing Rahman’s continued defiance of conference.
The hearth chat turned from private to philosophical, as Rahman explored the pressing must protect conventional Indian music, asking: “The place is the subsequent shehnai participant? The place is the subsequent Bismillah Khan Sahib? Until we discover them, acknowledge them, and let the world see them—they’ll vanish. That’s the place the inspiration for JHAALA got here in.” JHAALA, Rahman’s initiative to platform and protect Indian classical arts, seeks to make the invisible seen—via know-how, expertise discovery, and international publicity.
On synthetic intelligence, Rahman struck a balanced notice of warning and curiosity: “AI is like Frankenstein—it simply steals from human experiences, human data, human artwork, after which places collectively a number of ideas. It’s copied from us. And now it will get sooner, as a result of we really feel with emotion—and it simply runs on knowledge.”
“We must always use it for what it’s—for dashing up the mundane. Don’t concern it, use it.”
Past know-how, Rahman referred to as for a nationwide cultural renaissance: “If you happen to have a look at South Korea and Okay-pop, it emerged within the final 10 years due to authorities involvement and financial progress. It was a collective motion. That should occur with Indian music too. We have to reinvent the wheel.”
All through the session, one sentiment rang clear: true artwork is unbound by codecs, expectations, or establishments.
“An important factor about artwork is freedom,” Rahman acknowledged. “You possibly can’t do this with a movie studio.”
He ended with a reminder of music’s enduring universality: “Music transcends faith. It heals. It connects. It’s a shared soul.”
IGF London 2025’s closing conversations made one factor sure: in a world fractured by algorithms and agendas, it’s artists like Rahman who restore concord—not simply in sound, however in society.
The discussion board types a part of IGF London 2025. With over 100+ audio system, 1000 individuals, and occasions throughout iconic venues in London, IGF London 2025 encompasses a spectrum of matters – from know-how and commerce to tradition and commerce. This 12 months’s version marks a strong milestone – a decade since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark 2015 go to to the UK, and the 2 nations have finalised the long-awaited Free Commerce Settlement. IGF London is the primary main worldwide platform to rejoice and analyse this historic achievement, unlock new alternatives that emerge from its conclusion, and form the subsequent part of UK-India collaboration.
About India International Discussion board
India International Discussion board tells the story of up to date India. The tempo of change and progress India has set itself is a chance for the world. IGF is the gateway for companies and nations to assist seize that chance. To know extra, click on here
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