Actor Prakash Raj recently spoke about the ongoing controversy involving music composer AR Rahman and actor politician Kangana Ranaut. He addressed the issue while speaking at the Kerala Literature Festival where he was part of a discussion titled “Criminalising Dissent! Who Gets Locked Up for Speaking Out?”

During the event, Prakash Raj used AR Rahman’s situation as an example to explain how public opinion and outrage work in today’s time. He questioned the kind of discourse happening around the Oscar-winning composer. Referring to Rahman’s achievements, Prakash said that the same people who once celebrated him for songs like Maa Tujhe Salaam and Jai Ho are now quick to attack him. He added that Rahman had simply spoken his truth and is not someone who needs to “beg for work.”

Prakash Raj also mentioned Kangana Ranaut’s criticism of Rahman and strongly reacted to it. Without holding back, he said that people were “barking” over the issue. He pointed out that Kangana labelled Rahman as “anti-national” just because he refused to work on her film Emergency. Prakash referred to the film as “propaganda” and questioned how refusing a project could lead to such extreme accusations.

The controversy began after AR Rahman, in a BBC Asian Network interview, called the film Chhaava “divisive” and hinted that he might not be getting enough work in Bollywood due to communal reasons. Kangana responded to his comments through Instagram stories, accusing him of being prejudiced and claiming that he refused to even meet her for Emergency. She also defended her film, saying it was appreciated by critics and leaders across parties.

After the backlash, AR Rahman released a video statement clarifying his views. He expressed his love for India and music and said that he never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings.

The debate has once again sparked conversations around freedom of speech, intolerance, and how dissent is handled in the public space.