AR Rahman leads musical showcase of Ramayana in Chennai

CHENNAI: From the Tamil rendition of Jai Jai Ram to the powerful Ravana Tandav, the music of Ramayana took centre stage at its audio launch in the city on Thursday. Composer AR Rahman led the evening’s performances at the Chennai Trade Centre, where the film’s cast, including Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, gathered to celebrate the music Rahman composed in collaboration with Hans Zimmer.

Retold through plays, television shows and films over the years, the Ramayana remains one of India’s oldest and most revered epics. Producer Namit Malhotra’s upcoming film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is an ambitious cinematic adaptation that brings together composers AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. The film features Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Rakul Preet Singh, Ravie Dubey and Sunny Deol, among others.

Organised by Amazon Music, the film’s official music streaming partner, the evening opened with a children’s choir performing the Tamil version of Jai Jai Ram. Namit and Tiwari spoke about their journey of bringing the epic to the big screen, highlighting its cultural roots, universal appeal and their connection with the Tamil language.

Namit then invited Rahman on stage, where the composer performed Jai Jai Ram alongside singer Chinmayi Sripaada. Cast members Rakul Preet Singh, Ravie Dubey, Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash also shared their experiences of being part of the ambitious cinematic project.

One of the evening’s major highlights was Ravana Tandav, released on Dussehra. Yash, who plays Ravana, spoke about how the song drew him into the aura of Lord Shiva and influenced his portrayal of the character. Rahman, accompanied by his orchestra and chorus, subsequently presented musical themes and background scores from the film. The performances continued with Mangal Rang and Jodi Jodi, while singer Sachet Tandon delivered the first-ever live performance of Main Ram. The celebration concluded with the cast, singers and key members of the team sharing the stage.

Speaking about his experience of working on the film, Rahman said, “Some projects are beyond you; they become the soundtrack of people’s lives. The music of Ramayana is carefully woven to complement the story, love, and belief of a billion people. Working with Namit, Nitesh, Kumar Vishwas, and my amazing, relentless team has been a great journey. Scoring with Hans Zimmer has been a lifetime, memorable experience. Hope you enjoy every bit of it.”

Sai Pallavi spoke about her admiration for AR Rahman, saying his songs had become the background score to her life, often bringing back memories of significant moments from her past. “Sir has been a part of my life since my childhood and I am your biggest fan,” she said. She also revealed that Ranbir regularly watches Tamil films, keeps himself updated on South Indian cinema and enjoys discussing films with her. Sharing her experience of working with the film’s stellar cast, she urged audiences to watch Ramayana in IMAX 3D for the best cinematic experience.

Ranbir, meanwhile, described Ramayana as a story that connects people through love, faith and culture. Speaking about his association with Rahman, he said he had worked with the maestro on two films before, but being part of this epic was an opportunity he would cherish forever. Calling it an opportunity of a lifetime, the actor concluded his address in Tamil, greeting the audience with "Ellarum eppadi irukeenga?" before adding, “Chennai makkal best da,” drawing cheers from the crowd.

For Namit, music has been central to the film’s vision. Speaking about bringing Rahman and Zimmer together, he said the collaboration aimed to create a sound that was deeply rooted in India while retaining a universal appeal.

“This is a story that has lived in our hearts for generations, and I always believed its music needed to carry that same emotion, devotion and timelessness, while speaking to audiences across the world,” Namit said.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The music, composed by Rahman and Zimmer, features Tamil lyrics by Elango and Karthik Netha and is available to stream on Amazon Music. Adding to the grandeur of the event, Tribe Amrapali’s exclusive Ramayana collection was displayed at the venue. The showcase featured jewellery worn by Lord Rama, Sita and Ravana in the film, along with other ornaments used in the epic, offering guests a closer look at the craftsmanship behind the film’s visual world.

Envisioned as a two-part epic, the first part of Ramayana is scheduled for worldwide release on November 5 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. The second part is slated for release during Deepavali 2027.