AR Rahman explains how he's scoring ‘iconic’ music for Ramayana with Hans Zimmer: 'It’s terrifying for both of us'

AR Rahman talked about scoring music for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana with Hans Zimmer and revealed working on making something iconic.

One of the most anticipated releases of the year is Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana. Ever since the makers unveiled the film’s first look in 2025, there has been immense buzz around the project. One of the biggest highlights is its music, which is being composed by Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman and Grammy-winner Hans Zimmer. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, AR Rahman opened up about the process of creating the music for Ramayana.

AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer collaborate for Ramayana.

AR Rahman explains the process of scoring music for Ramayana

Talking about his experience scoring the film alongside Hans Zimmer, Rahman revealed that they have only done a couple of sessions together so far. He further explained the process and said, “It’s terrifying for both of us. We’re scoring something so iconic and so important to the world. So in the promo, I think he had a soundscape, then I took that and added the Sanskrit words at the end and everything. What’s complicated is that we’re taking something so epic, which every Indian knows, and we have to give them something new. We have to give something to the world — from India to the world.”

Rahman added, “So what does it take? We have to unlearn certain things, like how our instincts demand, ‘Oh, this is how Ramayana should be done,’ but also imbibe the timeless quality that exists in the culture. It’s still a process. I’m working with Dr Kumar Vishwas, who is like a pro, almost at a professor level when it comes to Ramayana and the Hindi language. Every atom of his body speaks Ramayana. He comes up with lyrics like that, and he’s a very kind person. So we’re having fun, and it’s new.”

The composer also revealed that the film’s producer, Namit Malhotra, is like a boss and a child at the same time, constantly excited to know everything that Rahman and Zimmer are discussing or playing. He added that director Nitesh Tiwari is equally involved in the creative process.

About Ramayana

Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana. Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana will be released in two parts, with the first arriving on Diwali 2026 and the second on Diwali 2027.