AR Rahman is amused by people criticising Ramayana songs, then apologising; reveals he once let go of Hans Zimmer collab to 'chill' | HT Exclusive

AR Rahman opens up on composing the music for Ramayana, collaborating with Hans Zimmer, and why he doesn't look at audience reactions.

Many felt it was a match made in heaven when AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer were brought on board as the composers for Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. The first piece of music, revealed in the title announcement, was praised. The songs have evoked mixed reactions, with many first criticising and then praising them. In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, Rahman opens up on composing the music for Rahman, why he broke his ‘no collab’ rule for Hans Zimmer, and his reaction to the public reactions.

AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer have composed the score for Ramayana.

Ramayana came to Rahman three decades into his career, and the composer knew he had to do something different for a story of this epic proportions. He explains, “After the first 10 years, people said, 'Oh, you should do what you did in those first 10 years.' But I can't stay on old glory like Rockstar or Slumdog Millionaire. You can't stagnate yourself—you have to be like a flowing river. Now Ramayana has come, and these songs are in five different languages. It's an epic story almost every Indian knows. It is a movie, an epic, a story almost every Indian knows. It's such a great honour to do those songs and be part of that celebration with India and the world. It's a huge honour and a big responsibility.”

On collaborating with Hans Zimmer

Rahman has always composed music solo, opting for no collaborators. But with Ramayana, that changed. The two-time Oscar winner is working with Hans Zimmer, arguably one of the most celebrated and acclaimed composers of all time. Talking about the collaboration, he says, “Usually I prefer solo work because I'm bad at being precious about my work. I'd just say, 'You do everything and I'll watch!' But in this case, him coming onto the project is such a blessing because it changes the narrative. If someone in New Zealand or Europe sees Hans Zimmer's name, they will watch. If they just see Indian names, they might think it's just another Indian movie, but they'll be curious to see what he has done collaborating on this. It's a great move by the producer.”

Rahman reveals that he had an opportunity to collaborate with Zimmer right after Slumdog Millionaire, but he let it pass. “He had actually invited me to work together 14–15 years ago, right after the Oscar (he won for Slumdog), but back then I was in chill-out mode,” the composer says with a laugh.

Three songs from Ramayana have been released so far. The loudest chatter was around the Ravana Tandav, which first received criticism, but later had social media users apologising to Rahman. The composer says he had no energy to check the reactions but was aware of the discourse. “We do so much work, filtration, ideation, and iteration that there's no energy left to look at feedback! We just put it out because it's been tried and tested so much. 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.”

AR Rahman's upcoming work

Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part film starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Part One releases worldwide on November 5, ahead of Diwali. The second part is slated for release around Diwali 2027. Rahman, meanwhile, will perform at Jio World Garden, Mumbai on November 1 and Backyard Sports Club, Delhi on November 21, as part of his Wonderment Tour. The three hour musical experience brings together some of his most iconic 90s compositions alongside his contemporary work, with a large scale live production and international ensemble.