- AR Rahman addressed criticism of his song Mangal Rang from Ramayana: Rise of a Legend
- Rahman compared music to pickles, saying compositions improve with time and patience
- He emphasized being his own first critic and not reacting to every public opinion
AR Rahman has responded to the criticism surrounding the music of Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.
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The composer, who has been facing questions over the musical treatment of the recently released song Mangal Rang, said he does not feel the need to address every opinion about his work.
Quoting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Rahman said, "If you want to satisfy everyone, go sell ice cream."
In an interview with Screen, Rahman spoke about his creative process and explained why he does not believe in judging a composition too quickly.
According to the composer, a piece of music often requires time and several rounds of consideration before it reaches its final form.
He also revealed that he is usually his own first critic.
"I am my first critic. It is not that I just love everything I do. We don't decide something in a day. We live with it for months sometimes. There's a thought process," he said.
Drawing a comparison with food, Rahman said certain compositions are like pickles, which develop their flavour with time. He suggested that listeners should also allow themselves time to understand the thought behind a musical arrangement.
"Sometimes you need to take anthropology into consideration. Sometimes, you let something be, like pickle: for certain tunes, the older it is, the better it becomes," he said.
The composer further pointed out that people sometimes form opinions after focusing on only one element of a composition, without looking at the larger creative vision. He believes patience can help listeners understand why certain musical choices were made.
"But people sometimes see one side. They don't see the whole picture, right? So sometimes you just have to be patient. And they discover it and say, 'Oh, that's why you did this' or 'that'."
However, Rahman also acknowledged that there is a limit to how much a musician can concern themselves with public reactions. He believes that trying to meet everyone's expectations is not a practical approach, which is why he recalled Steve Jobs' remark about selling ice cream.
AR Rahman's Mangal Rang Faces Criticism
Rahman's comments come amid discussions surrounding Mangal Rang, featuring Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, with lyrics penned by Kumar Vishwas. The song, which portrays the wedding of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, received mixed reactions from listeners following its release.
Several listeners questioned the musical arrangement, particularly its perceived qawwali influences, and debated whether the treatment was appropriate for a story rooted in the Hindu epic. While some expected a sound that was more closely associated with Sanatan Dharma, others expressed disappointment with the electronic treatment of the Ravana tandava sequence, saying it lacked the intensity they had anticipated.
The lyrics also became a subject of discussion, with some listeners questioning their emotional depth and the poetic quality generally associated with Rahman's compositions.
AR Rahman On Working With Hans Zimmer For Ramayana
During the same conversation, Rahman also discussed his collaboration with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer for Ramayana. He said Zimmer's association with the project could generate curiosity among international audiences and bring a different set of viewers to the film.
"His name coming in Ramayana would bring a whole set of new audience curiosity," he said.
Giving an idea of the scale of the musical undertaking, Rahman described the project as an enormous assignment involving multiple versions and languages. Apart from the songs, the film also has an extensive background score.
"The film has a score, and it has songs, and it has probably like 10 movies' worth of work, where there were five different languages and two different versions: the Hollywood version and the Indian version," he said.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
The first installment of the two-part film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas worldwide on November 5, 2026. The second instalment is slated for a Diwali 2027 release.