“The Most Important Thing About Art is Freedom,” says AR Rahman at IGF London 2025

In a deeply personal conversation at the final day of the India Global Forum London 2025 at Taj St. James’ Court, Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman urged artists, institutions, and governments alike to nurture creative freedom and cultural innovation.

Oscar-winning composer on scent cinema, AI, and the reinvention of Indian music culture

“In cinema for over 40 years now, I was bored with the same rectangle form,” Rahman confessed. “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 fireside chat went from personal to philosophical, as Rahman explored the urgent need to preserve traditional Indian music, asking: “Where is the next shehnai player? Where is the next Bismillah Khan Sahib? Unless we find them, recognize 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, 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.” “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 national cultural renaissance: “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 most important thing about art is freedom,” Rahman stated. “You can’t do that with a film studio.” He ended with a reminder of music’s enduring universality: “Music transcends religion. It heals. It connects. It’s a shared soul.” IGF London 2025’s closing conversations made one thing certain: in a world fractured by algorithms and agendas, it is artists like Rahman who restore harmony—not just in sound, but in society.

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