For a film already carrying enormous religious and commercial expectations, every new asset from Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is being examined closely. The latest flashpoint is Mangal Rang, a Ram-Sita wedding track composed by AR Rahman and written by Kumar Vishwas, which has drawn sharp reactions since its release.
Why the song is being questioned
The criticism is less about a lyric or a singer and more about the song’s musical grammar. Listeners have said the chorus, the rhythms and the “rang” metaphor give the track a qawwali-like texture, which a section of fans feels is out of place in a film narrating the story of Lord Ram.
Social media posts have pointed to these elements:
- A qawwali-style chorus and percussion pattern in a Ram-Sita wedding song.
- The “rang” metaphor, which some users associate with Sufi devotional singing.
- A guitar tone that listeners say evokes the bulbul tarang.
- Comparisons with Rahman’s Enna Solla Pogirai and Kun Faya Kun.
For context, qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional music. That is why some fans have questioned its placement in a film rooted in Valmiki’s Ramayana, with a few also bringing up Rahman’s earlier work on Rockstar, Jodha Akbar and Chhaava.
Will it dent the opening?
Film business expert Rohit Jaiswal told Filmibeat that the song “is okay” but not the kind of tune that stays with the audience. More importantly, he does not expect the backlash to reduce footfalls.
He said ticket sales would not fall because of the controversy and predicted that “people will forget it in few days.” He also acknowledged that the tune resembles a qawwali and has a similarity to a track Rahman used earlier in a Tamil film.
The larger box office picture remains strong. Jaiswal had earlier projected that the Hindi version alone would collect Rs 105-115 crore on opening day, underlining how wide the first-day pipeline is expected to be.
Rahman’s response
AR Rahman, speaking to Hindustan Times, said the team does so much “filtration, ideation and iteration” that there is no energy left to look at feedback. He added: “I’ve done my work sincerely and hope people celebrate it.”
The debate matters because Ramayana is one of the biggest Hindi releases of the year, with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. On a film of this scale, even a song drop can become a referendum on tone, faith and music direction. The immediate test is whether Mangal Rang settles into the film or remains a pre-release controversy.
Source: Filmibeat