A R Rahman has decided to protest against the prevailing practices in Bollywood

A R Rahman has decided to put his foot down and protest against the prevailing practices in Bollywood. The music composer is going all out to campaign for securing the financial rights of composers and lyricists, and even producers.

As a first step to furthering this 'movement' Rahman has withdrawn from Farah Khan's next film. "I'm not doing Farah Khan's Om Shanti Om. But that doesn't mean there's any quarrel with her or with Shah Rukh who is producing her film. Farah and I go back a long way. We did Bombay Dreams together. In fact, I did some tunes for Om Shanti Om which Farah has now returned to me, not because she didn't like them but because we just couldn't agree on my terms," he says.

Rahman's new policy is simple. He says, "I want to push for the copyright of composers and lyricists, even producers. I'm not saying that I want to be the sole proprietor of the songs I compose. But I want a share. There's nothing wrong with that. I can't run to music companies like T-Series and Sa Re Ga Ma every time I need to use my own song."

Unfortunately, not too many producers in Bollywood are willing to share Rahman's demand for a share in the royalty for a song.

But Rahman holds no grudges against anyone, least of all Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh from whose productions the composer has opted out, on this issue. "In fact Shah Rukh tried his utmost to see and to put forward my point of view," defends Rahman.

Unfortunately, T-Series, the music company which will market the music of Om Shanti Om, would have none of it.

Rahman laughs, "I realise that I have a huge fight on hand, although I don't see it as a fight. It's not like the British rock band Queen which owned sole copyright of all its songs. But I won't run to music companies in Mumbai for the rights for my songs every time I want to perform them at concerts. Music companies must recognise the changing ground reality. Today, conventional outlets for music sales are drying up. Soon all music will be free while the performers and performances will be paid for."

Rahman is ready to take on the flak that he's likely to earn, for his stance. He says, "Any change is frowned at. But I'm standing up for what I think is right. Yes, producers will back out. But that's fine. I've always been asked why I haven't done a non-film album. Now, I have the time to do that."

What could complicate matters for Rahman in Mumbai is his selective attitude to the copyright issue. While he has chosen to assert his financial rights over Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, Rahman has exempted Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodha-Akbar from the copyright-net. Rahman says, "It has to be flexible. I can't draw a net on all my assignments and draw up a uniform code.

At the same time, I'm not insecure about my career. If I lose out on some assignments in Mumbai I'm ready to bear with the loss."

• I'm not saying that I want to be the sole proprietor of the songs I compose. But I want a share. There's nothing wrong with that — A R Rahman