The makers of Ramayana released a new song, Mangal Rang, on Sunday. Composed by AR Rahman and sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, the song celebrates the love and sacred union of Lord Rama and Maa Sita, along with their journey together.
However, the song’s qawwali-like sound did not go down well with several social media users. Soon after its release, many took to X to criticise the musical style, with some questioning its suitability for a film based on the epic.
One user wrote, “Putting Sufi qawwali beats into Valmiki’s Ramayana is peak Bollywood delusion. Zero cultural grounding, zero research, just recycled templates slapped onto a massive budget. Stop treating sacred Itihasa like a regular Friday rom-com!”
Putting Sufi qawwali beats into Valmiki’s Ramayana is peak Bollywood delusion. 💀 Zero cultural grounding, zero research, just recycled templates slapped onto a massive budget. Stop treating sacred Itihasa like a regular Friday rom-com! https://t.co/PRfi75xgyJ
— Gaurav (@k_gauravs) October 25, 2026
Another user expressed disappointment with the music, writing, “Qawwali in Ramayana. AR Rahman never fails to disappoint.”
Qawwali in Ramayana. AR Rahman never fails to disappoint. https://t.co/OgOM28P3H3
— Alpakanya (@Alpakanya) October 25, 2026
A third user questioned the musical choice, posting, “Qawwali music in Ramayana AR Rahman are u nuts.”
Qawwali music in Ramayana AR Rahman are u nuts #Ramayana https://t.co/xvyQnGIqlx
— Beë ♔ (@chaoticc_beee) October 25, 2026
Another X user accused the composer of reusing an earlier composition, writing, “Thanks @arrahman for giving us recycled Qawwali Tamil song for Ramayan Movie.”
Thanks @arrahman for giving us recycled Qawali tamil song for Ramayan Movie. Imagine claiming to spend ₹9,000 Cr and hiring Big Beef Guy as Ram, Hindu-Army Hater as Sita and Allah Rakha Rahman for Music for an Hindu Epic! https://t.co/IxYGWGuPKw
— Arun Pudur (@arunpudur) October 25, 2026
Some users also expressed dissatisfaction with the film’s music overall, saying they would have preferred songs rooted more closely in Sanskrit traditions.
One user wrote, “Never liked any song in Ramayana, only the Ramayana BGM is good. Rest all songs are mid… This song in particular is so low in vibe; they could have used shudh Sanskrit songs would have been 100x better.”
Never liked any song in ramayana , only the ramayan bgm is good. Rest all songs are mid.. this song is particular is so low in vibe , they could have used shudh sanakrit songs would have been 100x better
— Dovahkiin (@akkicr77) October 25, 2026
Another user took aim at AR Rahman’s musical choices, writing, “A R Rahman recycling his own homework.”
One of the more detailed reactions questioned whether Rahman was the right choice as music director for the film. The user wrote, “Disappointing!! AR Rahman was the worst choice as music director for this movie. This sounds more like a qawwali. Heavily inspired by his prior work in Rockstar/Jodha Akbar. Very “Kun faya kun” vibes. Rahman did the same mediocre job with Chhaava as well. Ajay-Atul or Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy would have done justice to the music that this movie deserves.”
Disappointing!! AR Rahman was the worst choice as music director for this movie. This sounds more like a qawwali. Heavily inspired by his prior work in Rockstar/Jodha Akbar. Very “Kun faya kun” vibes. Rahman did the same mediocre job with Chhaava as well. Ajay-Atul or Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy would have done justice to the music that this movie deserves. #Ramayana #MangalRang
— Dr. Shubham Misra शुभम मिश्रा🧠⚛️🇮🇳🇺🇸 (@Shubham_Neuro) October 25, 2026
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Yash, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh and Lara Dutta in key roles. The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5.
ALSO READ: Ramayana Song Mangal Rang: Arijit Singh And Shreya Ghoshal Bring Rama-Sita’s Wedding To Life
