Ramayana song Mangal Rang faces flak over 'qawwali-like' music, Sita 'watching' Lord Ram's haldi - Internet reacts

The makers of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana have sparked a social media debate following the release of Mangal Rang, a wedding song featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Composed by AR Rahman and sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, the track celebrates the divine couple's marriage and journey together. However, its qawwali-like musical style and a sequence showing Sita watching Ram during a pre-wedding ritual have drawn criticism. While some viewers questioned the song's cultural authenticity, others praised the music, visuals and chemistry between the lead actors.

Ramayana song Mangal Rang faces flak for qawwali-like music

Mangal Rang released on October 25 and soon became a talking point on X (formerly Twitter), with several users questioning Rahman's musical choices for a film based on the Ramayana. Some listeners felt that the Sufi and qawwali-like elements of the song did not meet their expectations of a mythological epic.

One user wrote, "Putting Sufi qawwali beats into Valmiki's Ramayana is peak Bollywood delusion," arguing that the music lacked cultural grounding. Another posted, "Qawwali in Ramayana. AR Rahman never fails to disappoint."

Some listeners also compared the composition to Rahman's Kun Faya Kun from Rockstar, while others alleged similarity to the Tamil song Enna Solla Pogirai. These are social media comparisons and allegations, rather than established findings of musical plagiarism.

One user had a more general issue with the soundtrack, saying that the makers could have used "shudh Sanskrit songs" instead. Another accused Rahman of "recycling his own homework".

Trouble with Ram's haldi ceremony sequence

It is not only the music of Mangal Rang that has come under the microscope. In one sequence, women perform a ritual around Ram (Ranbir Kapoor), with Sai Pallavi as Sita looking over him from behind. Some viewers interpreted the scene as a haldi ceremony and questioned why the bride and groom appeared to be looking at each other during the ritual. One user wrote, "The song is good, but during haldi ceremony bride and groom don't look at each other."

Another post read, "This is the Ramayana trailer, where Sita Ji watches Ram Ji haldi ceremony. Since when do brides watch the groom haldi ceremony? Isn’t this disrespectful to Hindu tradition?"

The scene prompted questions about whether the filmmakers had properly depicted traditional Hindu wedding customs. For some viewers, the cultural nuances of the Ramayana have been especially important and even small visual choices have entered the broader conversation about the movie.

Haldi or Chumavan?

Amid the criticism, there have been reports suggesting that the sequence might not be showing a traditional haldi ceremony at all. It has been identified as Chumavan, a traditional ritual associated with weddings in Mithila and Bhojpuri regions. Married women present such items as turmeric, curd, sacred grass and rice to the groom in the ceremony. The bride gets a similar ceremony too. The practice is associated with folk customs and local wedding traditions.

This difference might be the reason why some of the viewers thought this scene to be a haldi ceremony in the beginning. Yet the online discussion reveals how the representation of regional customs can be misinterpreted by viewers unfamiliar with the particular ritual being represented.

About Ramayana

Ramayana is Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and Produced by Namit Malhotra. Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman, among others. The first part of Ramayana will have a worldwide theatrical release on 5th November 2026, and the second part will release during Diwali 2027.

DISCLAIMER: The article is a compilation of thoughts posted by netizens and satire doing the rounds on the subject. Ideas expressed do not reflect the view of Times Network.

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