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AR Rahman says his son keeps him updated as Ramayana songs face backlash
Among the Ramayana tracks released so far, Mangal Rang received attention for its qawwali-like sound and Ravana Tandav also became a topic of debate
By Edited by NDTV Movies News Desk
Updated 2 days ago
AR Rahman has come under criticism for his music in the film Ramayana, with some listeners saying the Academy Award-winning music composer couldn't do justice to the project.
Among the tracks released so far, Mangal Rang received a lot of attention for its qawwali-like sound. Another track, Ravana Tandav, also became a topic of debate, but some social media users later apologised to AR Rahman.
The music composer has now spoken about these changing reactions and revealed how he keeps himself updated about the discussion.
Speaking with Hindustan Times, AR Rahman said, “We do so much work, filtration, ideation and iteration that there's no energy left to look at feedback. We just put it out because it's been tried and tested so much. My son keeps telling me, ‘This is what they said yesterday, now they're apologising,' I say ‘fine,' I've done my work sincerely and hope people celebrate it.”
The musician said that working on Ramayana is a special moment in his career. He believes artists should keep trying new things instead of repeating what made them successful in the past. Even though his earlier work, such as Rockstar and Slumdog Millionaire, received great attention, he does not want to follow the same style forever.
He also explained: “Now Ramayana has come, and these songs are in five different languages. It's an epic story almost every Indian knows. It is a movie, an epic, a story almost every Indian knows. It's such a great honour to do those songs and be part of that celebration with India and the world. It's a huge honour and a big responsibility.”
To create the grand music for Ramayana, AR Rahman joined hands with Hollywood legend Hans Zimmer, known for composing music for films such as Interstellar, Inception and the Pirates of the Caribbean series, among others.
Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The cast also includes Anupam Kher, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh and Vivek Oberoi.