Mumbai, Jan 17 : Author and columnist Shobhaa De has reacted strongly to music maestro A.R. Rahmanâ??s recent remarks suggesting a possible â??communalâ?? angle behind the slowdown in his work in Bollywood, describing such comments as â??very dangerous.â??

Speaking on the issue, Shobhaa De said that she was surprised by Rahmanâ??s statement and questioned the need to introduce religion into a discussion about work opportunities.

â??This is a very dangerous comment. I don't know why he has made it, you should ask him.â??

Drawing from her decades-long association with the Hindi film industry, De asserted that Bollywood has largely remained free of communal bias.

â??I have been watching Bollywood for 50 years. And if I have seen any place which is free of any kind of communal tension, it is Bollywood. If you have talent, you will get a chance. If you don't have talent, there is no question of religion being a factor that you are not getting a chance.â??

The author also pointed out that Rahmanâ??s stature and experience make the remark even more puzzling.

She concluded: â??So, what he is saying, he is such a successful man, he is such a mature man. He should not have said it, maybe he has his reasons, you will have to ask him.â??

In a recent interview to BBC Asian Network, the Oscar-winning musical maestro revealed: "People who are not creative have the power now to decide things, and this might have been a communal thing also, but not in my face.â??

â??It comes to me as Chinese whispers that they booked you, but the music company went ahead and hired their five composers. I said, 'Oh, that's great, rest for me, I can chill out with my family."

He had also shared that it took him a while to feel like an â??insiderâ?? in the Hindi film industry and candidly spoke about â??losing out on work in the last eight yearsâ??

/IANS