AR Rahman responds to criticism of Ramayana song, says audiences need patience
Composer AR Rahman has responded to criticism of Mangal rang, a song from the upcoming film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, saying audiences sometimes need time to understand the thought process behind his compositions.
The song, featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, drew criticism on social media after its release last week.
Some listeners objected to what they described as its qawwali-like treatment, arguing that music for a film based on the Ramayana should be rooted in Sanatan traditions. Others criticised the electronic treatment of the Ravana tandava and questioned the lyrics by poet Kumar Vishwas.
In an interview with The Indian Express, Rahman said his compositions go through months of thought and refinement.
“I am my first critic. It is not that I just love everything I do,” he said. “We don’t decide something in a day. We live with it for months sometimes. There’s a thought process. Sometimes you need to take anthropology into consideration.”
He added that listeners sometimes see only one aspect of a composition and need time to understand the choices behind it.
For Mangal rang, Rahman said he drew on the shuddh notes of Bilawal, with elements of Maand and Pahadi. He said the composition was intended to draw from familiar devotional musical traditions.
Rahman is composing the music for the film alongside German composer Hans Zimmer. He said Zimmer's involvement could bring new audiences to the story, which holds a significant place in the cultural imagination of the Indian subcontinent.
The composer also spoke about his collaboration with director Imtiaz Ali and lyricist Irshad Kamil on Main Vaapas Aaunga. He said the team spent time refining its music, with the song Kya kamaal hai eventually becoming the soul of the film's score.
Rahman said Hindi cinema had increasingly moved away from composing songs around a film's characters and narrative, instead selecting existing tracks and fitting them into scenes.
His upcoming projects include Ramayana: Part 2, Shekhar Kapur's Masoom: The Next Generation and Mani Ratnam's Inji Vellam.