Indian classical musician Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is officially set to make his Bollywood debut in music scoring. HT City has learnt that the young musician will join forces with Academy Award winners Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman who are curating the music for filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming magnum opus, Ramayana.
Sources close to the production reveal that Rishab Rikhiram Sharma has been brought on board to compose the trailer's title track, as well as contribute to significant portrayals involving Lord Ram (played by Ranbir Kapoor), Lord Hanuman (played by Sunny Deol) and Lankesh Ravana (played by Yash).
The source reveals, "The filmmakers do not just want a standard background score; they want a psychological experience for Ramayana. Rishab's work with music therapy made him the right choice to contribute to the emotional scenes. He will utilise his signature custom-engineered electronic sitar, SITARA, to contrast these legendary characters, bringing a fresh twist to classical bhajans, alongside his own original compositions." Sharma has grounded the score in ancient Indian classical roots and reimagined it for the modern age. Producers reportedly wanted to draw from Sharma’s capabilities and experience in the Indian classic music and use it for Indian cinema.
{{/usCountry}}The source reveals, "The filmmakers do not just want a standard background score; they want a psychological experience for Ramayana. Rishab's work with music therapy made him the right choice to contribute to the emotional scenes. He will utilise his signature custom-engineered electronic sitar, SITARA, to contrast these legendary characters, bringing a fresh twist to classical bhajans, alongside his own original compositions." Sharma has grounded the score in ancient Indian classical roots and reimagined it for the modern age. Producers reportedly wanted to draw from Sharma’s capabilities and experience in the Indian classic music and use it for Indian cinema.
{{/usCountry}}Pandit Ravi Shankar’s youngest and last disciple, Sharma has spent recent years taking his global Sitar for Mental Health tour across the world. The tour used the classical sitar as a tool for sound therapy, mindfulness and anxiety relief.
Ramayana features an ensemble cast, including Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman. The film also stars Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Kunal Kapoor as Indra Dev and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpankha. Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to hit theatres during Diwali 2026, while the second instalment is expected to release on Diwali 2027. The trailer of Ramayana: Part 1 is expected to release next week on July 24. The film's team had a special event on July 18 in Delhi to kickstart the promotional campaign for the film.