AR Rahman reacts to mixed response to ‘Ramayana’ songs: ‘Done my work sincerely’

Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman has described composing music for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana as both an honour and a responsibility, while opening up about the mixed reactions to the film’s songs.

In a recent interview, Rahman said working on the two-part adaptation of the Indian epic offered him an opportunity to explore new creative territory rather than rely on the success of his earlier works.

“You can’t stagnate yourself. You have to be like a flowing river,” he told Hindustan Times.

The composer said Ramayana holds a special place in India's cultural imagination, with generations familiar with the epic, making the project a tremendous honour.

Rahman is collaborating with Hans Zimmer for the soundtrack. He revealed that the collaboration had been discussed much earlier, shortly after his Oscar win for Slumdog Millionaire.

“He had actually invited me to work together 14–15 years ago, right after the Oscar, but back then I was in chill-out mode,” Rahman recalled.

The film’s music has drawn mixed reactions online. The composer said he was aware of the discussions but did not spend much time tracking online feedback.

“We do so much work, filtration, ideation, and iteration that there’s no energy left to look at feedback,” he said. “My son keeps telling me, ‘This is what they said yesterday, now they’re apologising…’ I say fine, I've done my work sincerely and hope people celebrate it,” he said.

Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana.

The ensemble cast also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Sheeba Chadha, Vivek Oberoi, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor and Anupam Kher.

The first instalment is scheduled for a global theatrical release on November 5, 2026.