AR Rahman brings qawwali to Ramayana? Mangal Rang sparks online outrage

The new song from Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has found itself at the centre of an online debate, but not for the reasons its makers might have hoped. Titled Mangal Rang, the track has gone viral, with several listeners questioning its musical style and criticising composer AR Rahman for incorporating what they describe as qawwali influences into a song celebrating Lord Rama and Sita’s wedding. Some social media users have also raised concerns about the song’s religious undertones and whether its musical style suits the epic’s setting.Featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ramayana is one of the most anticipated Indian films. However, the song has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with some listeners comparing its musical arrangement to Rahman’s earlier compositions, while others have questioned whether its sound suits the epic's setting.Mangal Rang serves as the musical backdrop to the wedding celebrations of Lord Rama and Sita in the film. The song features the voices of Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, with Rahman composing, producing and arranging the music. The lyrics are written by Kumar Vishwas.Mangal Rang compared to Rahman's old compositionsSoon after the track surfaced online, listeners began discussing its musical influences. Several X users pointed to what they perceived as qawwali elements in the composition, while others drew parallels with Rahman's earlier work. One user shared a clip from the song, comparing it with the composer's Tamil track Enna Solla Pogirai from the 2000 film Kandukondain Kandukondain, which starred Ajith Kumar, Mammootty, Tabu and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.The user wrote, "Mangal Rang is an obviously qawwali-coded song in Ramayana - the chorus, the "rang" metaphor (most famously used in Aaj Rang Hai), and the guitar which evokes bulbul tarang. Aside: self-inspired from Enna Solla Pogirai." Mangal Rang is an obviously qawwali-coded song in Ramayana - the chorus, the "rang" metaphor (most famously used in Aaj Rang Hai), and the guitar which evokes bulbul tarang. Aside: self-inspired from Enna Solla Pogirai. https://t.co/QOKIqXwjXb— Param Arunachalam (@taparam) October 25, 2026Another user criticised the perceived use of qawwali in the song, writing, "Qawwali in Ramayana. AR Rahman never fails to disappoint."Apart from Enna Solla Pogirai, several listeners compared Mangal Rang to Kun Faya Kun, Rahman's popular Sufi track from the 2011 film Rockstar, starring Ranbir Kapoor.One X user expressed disappointment with the song and questioned Rahman's suitability as the music director for the epic."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," the post read.A user accused Rahman of what he called "Islamification of songs". "First, the songs in Chhaava were subjected to Islamification, and now Ramayana’s Swayamvar song has been copied from a Tamil song and turned into a Sufi qawwali. AR Rahman isn’t missing a single opportunity to Islamify songs," read the tweet. Another listener argued that the song should have relied more heavily on traditional Indian instruments and Sanskrit lyrics to reflect the story's setting."This song sounds more like Kun faya Kun, they must have used more of Veena, Sitar, Mridnang and Tabla and Sanskrit words should have been used in the lyrics as it's about Ramayana. The disappointing thing is that the lyrics has "Tu tera mera" Godliness is completely missing," the user wrote.AR Rahman faces backlash over musical choicesSome users also questioned the decision to bring Rahman on board for Ramayana, linking their criticism to his work on other historical and period films.One user wrote, "This is why I hated the decision of Namit and Nitesh to take AR Rahman to compose music for Ramayana He bought Urdu music into CHHAAVA and destroyed the movie or else it would have become the biggest blockbuster movie And even after getting so much trolled for it, he couldn’t stop bringing Sufi music into Ramayana I donno how director accepted this."Another user took a swipe at the composer's reputation, writing, "That Overhyped sasta (cheap) Tansen strikes again and ruins the vibe."One post even suggested that Rahman should be restricted from using certain musical styles in future projects."AR Rahaman Should Be Signed Only On Two Exclusionary Clauses In The Contract : >You Will NOT Sing A Second >You Will NOT Use Qawwali," the post read.While the criticism has centred on the song's perceived qawwali and Sufi influences, the reactions also reflect a wider debate over the musical language used in films based on Indian epics. For now, Mangal Rang has sparked a conversation about whether its sound fits the story it seeks to tell.Ramayana: The Rise of Legend is set to hit theatres on November 5, 2026.- Ends