‘Go Sell Ice Cream’: A.R. Rahman On Ramayana Music Backlash

Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman has responded to criticism surrounding the music of Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, saying artists should not create work simply to satisfy everyone. Quoting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Rahman said, “If you want to satisfy everyone, go sell ice cream.”

The comments come amid mixed reactions to the recently released song ‘Mangal Rang’, featuring Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. The track, which portrays the wedding of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, has sparked debate over its musical arrangement, with some listeners questioning its perceived qawwali influences and electronic treatment.

Speaking about his creative process in an interview with Screen, Rahman said compositions often require time and careful consideration before they are finalised.

“I am my first critic. It is not that I just love everything I do. We don’t decide something in a day. We live with it for months sometimes. There’s a thought process,” he said.

Comparing music to food, the composer suggested that certain compositions grow on listeners with time. “Sometimes you need to take anthropology into consideration. Sometimes, you let something be, like pickle: for certain tunes, the older it is, the better it becomes,” he added.

Rahman also pointed out that listeners sometimes judge individual elements without understanding the larger creative vision behind a composition. He believes patience can help audiences recognise the thinking behind such musical choices.

The composer also spoke about his collaboration with Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer on Ramayana, saying the association could attract international audience interest.

Describing the scale of the project, Rahman said the film involves extensive musical work across multiple languages and versions, including separate Indian and Hollywood versions.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, among others.

The first instalment is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026, with the second part slated for Diwali 2027.