The music composer of upcoming Ramayana film, AR Rahman is now under the scanner as the song ‘Mangal Rang’ has raised a controversy online, and some listeners have termed the tune âqawwali’ and âSufi’ inspired. The song was released on October 25, 2026 and is dedicated to the sacred bond of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita. The song is set to be released with the voices of Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal and lyrics penned by Kumar Vishwas, and has been noticed for its musical composition and the visuals of the iconic wedding. The song has garnered praise from many for its emotional tone, though there have been some who doubt that the song is appropriate for a film adaptation of the revered Hindu epic.
After the release of the song, a number of social media users voiced their dismay over the arrangement of the song on X. It was felt that the song was too close to qawwali or devotional music with Sufi influence and it was suggested that a more traditional devotional style of music would be a better representation of the significance of the story in terms of its cultural and religious context. Others likened certain sections of the song to Rahman’s previous work, such as âKun Faya Kun’, from Rockstar, and âEnna Solla Pogirai*â from the Tamil movie Kandukondain Kandukondain. These comparisons are still based on a personal opinion of the listener and not a fact of copying. Meanwhile, other listeners have commended the tune, the singing of the song, and the depiction of the bonding of Rama and Sita.
The issue of whether music in religious epics should be removed from the films or integrated has also brought about a general debate. Some listeners think that these stories should be structured more in traditional devotional format, use Sanskrit verses, and traditional Indian instruments to maintain the atmosphere of the original story. Others say that composers must be free to experiment with different styles of music in their adaptation of ancient stories for contemporary audiences. Though Qawwali is a devotional musical tradition that has its own historical roots, the Sufi influence in a musical arrangement may not be obvious; it is difficult to classify a composition as being qawwali, just by its mood and feeling.
As per the report in Moneycontrol on October 26, AR Rahman has come out with a response to the criticism. The composer said that he was honoured to work on Ramayana and is very responsible for it as the music was created for five languages. In response to the public consultation, Rahman stated that before his team published its work, it had undergone a wide range of creative development work. âThere’s so much work, filtering, ideation, iteration, I’m happy that I did the work and I’m hoping people will celebrate it,â he said. The reply mentions the creative process in making the soundtrack and mentions the attention that’s given to a movie that’s based on a story that millions of people know.
Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and has Ranbir Kapoor as the Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, along with other big-name actors like Yash, Sunny Deol etc. The song Mangal Rang in the movie throws light on the scenes of Sitaâs swayamvar, the wedding celebration and Ayodhyaâs visit to the couple. The movie will be released theatrically across the globe on 5 November 2026. Meanwhile, as the dialogue proceeds, students’ contrasting reactions illustrate how music can spark reactions before movies go into theatres that can be strong or weak and even polarizing. Perhaps listeners will favor Rahmanâs musical approach, or maybe the traditional one.
