AR Rahman shares 2014 email that predicted his Ramayana gig

The Chennai event for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana turned into a moment of personal history for AR Rahman. On October 21, the composer told the audience that a stranger’s email from 2014 had already sketched out his future with the epic.

A 2014 email, read aloud

Rahman, 59, said he received a message from a man named Sathish who wrote that he had seen the composer in a dream. In the note, Sathish described Rahman travelling across India and the world with musical shows that presented the Ramayana. Rahman read the message at the event and connected it to his current job as composer on the upcoming film.

Rahman said Sathish “manifested that I would be composing the music for Ramayana.” The email added that the dream “will come true” and pictured the composer “presenting the great epic Ramayana.”

Why the association matters

The exchange is more than a stage anecdote. Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is one of the most awaited Hindi releases of the year. Its cast places Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Ravi Dubey playing Lakshman. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on November 5.

Rahman’s involvement gives the project a distinctive musical identity. At the same event, Yash praised the composer’s larger contribution to Indian film, saying he learned Tamil through Rahman’s songs and used to dance to music from Gentleman. The actor added that he was happy to perform to Rahman’s score in Ramayana.

Ranbir Kapoor addresses the Dussehra slip

Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram, also used the Chennai stage to revisit a verbal misstep at a Dussehra event in Kolkata a day earlier. He clarified that he had intended to say that “truth and goodness will ultimately prevail,” not that they would “end.” He called the mistake a slip of the tongue and apologised again.

The Kolkata line had already become a subject of social media chatter, and Ranbir referenced a line from Rockstar, another Rahman collaboration, to explain that his words had failed him.

• Chennai event held on October 21, 2026, ahead of the film’s release.
• Rahman read a 2014 email from a fan named Sathish predicting the association.
• Yash said Rahman’s songs helped him learn Tamil.
• Ranbir apologised for the Dussehra slip; the film opens worldwide on November 5 and is tax-free in West Bengal.

The road to November 5

With the release date near, the team’s promotional stops are drawing attention beyond the usual song-and-dance routine. West Bengal has declared the film tax-free, adding another layer of anticipation for audiences in that state.

For fans of Rahman, the Chennai moment also reframes the release: a decade-old prediction has now become part of the film’s promotion, and the music will decide whether the story feels as epic as its source material.

Source: India Today