AR Rahman responds to criticism of Mangal Rang song from Ramayana
The composer said he is his own harshest critic and does not believe every creative choice must please everyone.
Composer AR Rahman has addressed the mixed reactions to the song ‘Mangal Rang’ from Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film ‘Ramayana: Rise of a Legend’, according to the Times of India. The song, which features characters played by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, sparked debate among listeners regarding its qawwali-like musical treatment.
Rahman stated in an interview with The Indian Express that he is his own first critic and does not automatically love everything he creates. He explained that some compositions require time to evolve, comparing the process to making pickle where certain tunes become better as they get older.
The composition incorporates shuddh notes of Bilawal, elements of Maand, a raga associated with bhajans and wedding music, and touches of Pahadi. Rahman said the intention was to create an arrangement rooted in devotional and traditional sounds through a distinct approach rather than following an established template.
The song reached the No. 1 position on YouTube’s trending music chart during its release week. Rahman, who is collaborating with Hans Zimmer on the film’s music, noted that the project involves an extensive body of work including songs and background scores for different languages and markets.
Rahman said the association with Zimmer could bring new audience curiosity and help the film reach a wider international audience. He described the scale of the assignment as having the volume of 10 movies worth of work, involving five different languages and two versions.
The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.