"The Most Important Thing About Art is Freedom," says

AR Rahman at IGF London 2025

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In a deeply personal and expansive conversation at the final day of 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, Al, 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 that 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.