‘You can’t please everyone. If you want to satisfy all, sell ice cream.’ That’s the blunt truth A.R. Rahman, one of India’s most celebrated music directors, has been grappling with as he stands behind the soundtrack for Ramayanam—Nitesh Tiwari’s grand, two-part retelling of the Ramayana epic, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Saipallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The film, which will hit theaters in five languages on November 2, 2026, is a cinematic spectacle designed to bridge Bollywood and Hollywood audiences. But its music—particularly the song Mangal Rang, sung by Arjit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal—has sparked a firestorm of criticism, forcing Rahman to defend his creative choices in a way that feels both personal and philosophical. ‘I am my own first critic,’ he says, a statement that hints at the pressure he carries, not just as an artist, but as a bridge between two worlds of music: the soulful, rhythmic traditions of India and the sweeping, orchestral grandeur of Western cinema, where he collaborates with legends like Hans Zimmer. The debate over Mangal Rang isn’t just about taste—it’s about what it means to create something that resonates across cultures, and whether the result can ever be universally loved.
