AR Rahman: No Energy Left to Read Social Media Feedback

AR Rahman has heard the chatter around Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, but he is not reading it. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the Oscar-winning composer said the sheer workload behind each song leaves little room to track social media reactions.

“There’s no energy left to look at feedback,” Rahman said, explaining that a song goes through filtration, ideation and iteration before it is released. His son, he added, keeps pointing out that yesterday’s critics are often apologising today.

A familiar cycle: backlash, then a rethink

Rahman’s remark appears to nod at “Ravana Tandav.” The track first faced a backlash, but many listeners later warmed to it. That pattern is now repeating with the latest song, “Mangal Rang.”

Why Mangal Rang is splitting opinion

The newest track features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita. Some viewers feel its qawwali influences do not match the traditional world of the epic. The mix of styles has started a wider discussion about whether such musical choices suit films rooted in Indian mysticism.

For Rahman, the ambition is deliberate. He said he cannot stay on old glory from albums like Rockstar or Slumdog Millionaire. “You can’t stagnate yourself — you have to be like a flowing river,” he said. The songs are being released in five different languages.

The Hans Zimmer factor

The project also breaks Rahman’s usual solo approach. He has teamed up with German composer Hans Zimmer, who first invited him to collaborate around 14–15 years ago after the Slumdog Millionaire Oscar win. Rahman turned the offer down then because he was in “chill-out mode.”

Now, he calls Zimmer’s presence “such a blessing because it changes the narrative.” Rahman explained that a local-only line-up might make global audiences see it as “just another Indian movie.” Zimmer’s involvement, he said, will create curiosity worldwide and is “a great move by the producer.”

Why the music matters more than usual

A Ramayana adaptation runs on its score. The songs carry the emotional and spiritual weight of a story almost every Indian knows, so every stylistic choice is magnified. Rahman’s five-language version means one listener’s familiar sound can be another’s surprising twist.

Before you pick a side

• The film releases worldwide on November 5, just ahead of Diwali.
• Part Two is slated for Diwali 2027.
• Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra.
• Yash plays Ravana, Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman, and Sunny Deol appears as Lord Hanuman.

Before the film arrives, Rahman’s Wonderment Tour begins at Jio World Garden, Mumbai on November 1 and reaches Backyard Sports Club, Delhi on November 21.

Source: The Times of India