AR Rahman responds to viral post calling Main Vaapas Aaunga ‘anti-national’

3 min readMumbaiJun 17, 2026 09:58 PM IST

AR Rahman is getting a lot of praise for the soundtrack of Main Vaapas Aaunga.

While Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga continues to generate conversation on social media, with many viewers praising its emotional depth and AR Rahman’s music, the film’s box office performance has remained largely modest. Amid the ongoing discourse, Rahman reacted to a viral social media post that accused the film of being “anti-national.”

Taking to his Instagram Stories, the Oscar-winning composer shared a screenshot of a satirical post that mocked claims against Main Vaapas Aaunga for allegedly “showing Pakistan without terrorists and secret agents.” Reacting to the post, Rahman simply added a laughing emoji.

AR Rahman’s Instagram Story.

‘Kun Faya Kun’ draws from the Quran and Rigveda

Even as Main Vaapas Aaunga continues to divide opinion online, its soundtrack has received widespread appreciation from audiences. The film marks the fifth collaboration between AR Rahman and director Imtiaz Ali after Rockstar, Highway, Tamasha, and Amar Singh Chamkila. Days before the film’s release, Ali had reflected on the making of one of his most celebrated collaborations with Rahman, “Kun Faya Kun” from Rockstar. Speaking to Times Now, the filmmaker credited the song’s spiritual and philosophical depth to its creators and the texts that inspired it.

Also Read | Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga chronicles a country in danger of forgetting itself

The filmmaker said, “For something like that, I can’t take the credit. That is AR Rahman. That is Irshad Kamil. That is all of that. And also, there is the Rigveda, there is the Quran Sharif, there is the Bhagavad Gita, all of that is written into it. Do you know that? The line ‘Jab kahin bhi, kuch nahin, bhi nahin tha’ (When there was nothing, not even nothingness) is from the Rigveda. It is the Hymn of Creation from the Rigveda. ‘Kun Faya Kun’ is from the Quran, which is also there in the Bible, ‘Be, and there was.'”

Imtiaz Ali further revealed that AR Rahman approached the song with immense reverence and a deep sense of responsibility. “And then so much is quoted from so many scriptures in that song. Rahman sir believed it. He said, ‘This is too powerful. Let me consult with some people to see whether we should even make these song lyrics. We don’t want to put it in a contaminated vessel.'”

Recalling the recording process, Ali said the team treated the song with utmost respect. “Jab hum log yeh record karne aaye na, toh phir haath-muh, haath-pair dhoke, nange pair aaye (When we came to record the song, we washed our hands, face and feet, and came barefoot). Because we were carrying something of value, something for which we had to be responsible.”