Some dreams take a decade to land. At the October 21 album launch of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend in Chennai, AR Rahman shared a note from 2014 that now reads like an early review of his future.
Speaking to the audience, Rahman recalled that a fan named Sathish had written to him more than ten years ago. “In 2014, a gentleman called Sathish manifested that I would be composing the music for Ramayana,” Rahman said.
“You appeared in my dream early in the morning. I believe it will come true.”
The fan’s message went on to describe Rahman presenting the great epic through musical shows in India and around the world.
A score built for an epic
Rahman is now composing the music for Ramayana: Rise of a Legend with Hans Zimmer, the Oscar-winning composer known for his work on major Hollywood productions. It is a rare pairing of two film-music traditions for a two-part live-action telling of Valmiki’s epic.
The project, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and written by Shridhar Raghavan, is produced by Prime Focus Studios, DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. It has also been developed for IMAX and other premium large-format screens.
Key details for the first instalment:
- Release date: November 5, 2026, worldwide
- Languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English
- Leads: Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman
- Ensemble: Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor and Kajal Aggarwal
- Part two: expected in 2027
Yash’s Rahman connection
Yash, who plays Ravana, was at the Chennai event and credited Rahman’s music with shaping his relationship with Tamil. “I learnt Tamil because of his songs. I used to dance to songs from Gentleman,” he said.
He added that hearing Tamil songs in Hindi leaves him feeling something is missing, and that he is glad to be performing in a Rahman-scored film. Yash also said the Shiva Tandava track has become a source of energy while he plays Ravana, a role he acknowledged audiences often view as the epic’s most hated figure.
Why fans should keep an eye on the date
With a November 5, 2026 release across multiple languages and a second part planned for 2027, Ramayana is shaping up as a major theatrical bet. The combination of an Indian composing legend, a Hollywood score titan and a cast built for scale makes the music itself a storyline.
Source: Hindustan Times