Music maestro AR Rahman has opened up about his much-talked-about collaboration with legendary Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer for the upcoming epic film Ramayana. Speaking about the experience, Rahman described the process as both creatively thrilling and deeply challenging, given the cultural and emotional weight the story carries across generations and geographies.
AR Rahman on working with Hans Zimmer
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Rahman reflected on working with Zimmer. He said, “We just did a couple of sessions and you heard the initial promo. It’s terrific for both of us scoring something iconic and something important to the world.” Elaborating on their creative process, Rahman explained how their ideas merged organically. “In the promo, he had a soundscape and then I took and added the Sanskrit words.”
He further spoke about the complexity of the task, noting, “So what’s complicated is you are taking something which is so epic, which every Indian knows and we have to give them something new as a world. We are giving to the world, from India to the world.” Rahman emphasized the need to strike a balance between tradition and innovation, adding, “So you have to unlearn certain things. Our instincts demand this out of mind should be done. But also imbibe certain timeless quality which is there in the culture.”
About the film Ramayana
Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, mounting the project on a grand scale with a massive ensemble cast. Ranbir Kapoor headlines the film as Lord Ram, while Sai Pallavi essays the role of Sita. Yash plays the antagonist Ravana. The cast also includes Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi. The epic drama will be released in two parts with part 1 looking for a Diwali 2026 release and part 2 aiming for Diwali 2027, offering a grand cinematic retelling of the Indian epic.
