Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman’s Ramayana music: songs, singers and how the collaboration came together

When the makers of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana unveiled the project’s first glimpse in July 2025, one line in the announcement stood out: “For the first time ever, Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman have joined forces to create a powerful original score.” More than a year later, with the songs released and the album launched, here is what we know about the music of Ramayana: Part 1, who made it, and how the two composers came to work together.

Two composers, one score

Hans Zimmer, the German composer behind scores such as The Lion King, Gladiator, Inception and Dune, has never worked on an Indian film before. A. R. Rahman, an Oscar winner for Slumdog Millionaire, needs no introduction to Indian audiences. Prime Focus, the production house led by producer Namit Malhotra, described their partnership as the first time the two had joined forces.

In a behind-the-scenes video released by the makers on 2 November 2026 and reported by The Indian Express, Malhotra recalled approaching Zimmer in New York. He had prepared a full pitch deck, but after six or seven slides, Malhotra said, Zimmer told him: “I don’t need to see it.” Explaining why he signed on, Zimmer said:

“The two cultures that are so different can be so the same.” — Hans Zimmer, as quoted by The Indian Express

According to the same report, the two had been planning to collaborate for years, and Ramayana was the project that finally made it happen. In the video, recorded with Rahman at AIR Studios in London, Zimmer spoke of making “music that’s thousands of years old about the gods, the traditions, and the stories that make India so important to us in the West.”

How they worked together

Rahman explained that the two composers worked on different pieces separately before exchanging them. “The process is constant exchange and seeing what works best,” he said. Zimmer described their working relationship in similar terms: “Our friendship is just speaking to each other without exchanging words; just take an instrument and start playing.”

Director Nitesh Tiwari, who watched the two record with a live ensemble, said in the same video: “These guys are not legends without any reason. They just know what needs to be done and excel at it. It’s so effortless.”

Wikipedia’s account of the soundtrack, drawing on interviews with the makers, says that Rahman added Sanskrit verses to thematic soundscapes Zimmer had first developed. The music was recorded at Rahman’s Panchathan Record Inn, AM Studios and Cafe Musica in Chennai, at Panchathan Record Inn in Mumbai, and at AIR Studios in London. Speaking at the album launch in Chennai, Rahman pointed to the devotional roots of his writing:

“Indian classical music has so much bhakti, be it keerthanas or varnams. I have drawn inspiration from all of these to craft this work.” — A. R. Rahman, as quoted by The Hindu

The words: Kumar Vishwas

All the Hindi lyrics are by the poet Dr Kumar Vishwas. When the first song was released, he described his approach to The Hindu: “While writing the song, my endeavour was not to describe Shri Ram, because his meaning cannot be contained in words, but to express the relationship every devotee shares with him: as our guide, our strength and our refuge. The language has been kept simple and direct because true devotion needs no ornamentation.”

The songs have been adapted for the film’s other languages by Karthik Netha (Tamil), Rakendu Mouli (Telugu), Vinayak Sasikumar (Malayalam) and Karthik Saragur (Kannada). The album is released under the T-Series label.

The songs so far

"Jai Jai Ram" (released 14 September 2026)

The first single arrived on Ganesh Chaturthi, 14 September 2026. Composed by Rahman, with lyrics by Kumar Vishwas, it is sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, and its music video features Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Rahman said in a statement reported by The Hindu: “At the heart of ‘Jai Jai Ram’ is the simple and powerful repetition of Shri Ram’s name. Musically, the intention was to preserve the purity and intimacy of a prayer while allowing the composition to grow into a cinematic song.”

"Ravana Tandav" (released 20 October 2026)

The second song was released on Dussehra, 20 October 2026. Sung by Vishal Dadlani, it is built around the traditional Shiva Tandava Stotram, the hymn associated with Ravana’s devotion to Shiva. As Mint noted, the sequence presents Yash’s Ravana as a fierce devotee rather than simply as Rama’s adversary. Yash said at the Chennai launch that the song’s energy helped him play “the most hated person in the epic.”

The soundtrack EP (released 21 October 2026)

A five-track EP followed on 21 October, available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam:

1. “Jai Jai Ram”: A. R. Rahman; Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh
2. “Ravana Tandav”: A. R. Rahman; Vishal Dadlani
3. “Sita’s Aspiration”: A. R. Rahman; A. R. Ameen, Vaishali Samant, Rakshita Suresh and Antra Nandy
4. “Jai Jai Ram” (Orchestral): Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman
5. “Rama Theme”: Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman

According to Film Music Reporter, the label had already released a trailer theme by the two composers as a digital single in August.

More songs: "Mangal Rang", "Judi Jodi" and "Main Ram"

Three more songs appear in the film’s extended soundtrack. “Mangal Rang”, composed by Rahman, reunites Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. “Judi Jodi” (reported as “Jodi Jodi” in some coverage of the launch) is a Rahman composition sung by Shreya Ghoshal. “Main Ram”, sung by Sachet Tandon, is credited to Prateek Walia rather than to the two lead composers.

The Chennai album launch

The music was celebrated on 21 October 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre at an event hosted by Amazon Music, the film’s official streaming partner. A children’s choir opened the evening with the Tamil version of “Jai Jai Ram”. Rahman then performed the song with Chinmayi Sripaada, led his orchestra through themes from the score, and performed “Mangal Rang”, “Ravana Tandav” and “Jodi Jodi”. Sachet Tandon gave the first live performance of “Main Ram”.

Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravie Dubey and Rakul Preet Singh attended along with Tiwari and Malhotra. Rahman told the audience that he first saw the Ramayana in school and later watched Ilankeswaran, calling the project “a journey of learning”. Malhotra said the decision to bring the two composers together “was driven by that very vision to create something deeply rooted in India, yet universal in its appeal and emotion.”

What to listen for in the cinema

The songs are only part of the picture. Zimmer and Rahman share credit for the background score, which will be heard properly only when Ramayana: Part 1 opens worldwide on 5 November 2026. The released pieces offer clues. The “Rama Theme” and the orchestral “Jai Jai Ram” suggest that Zimmer’s large-scale orchestral writing and Rahman’s devotional melodies are meant to meet in the score. For release details and showtimes, see our release date and updates page, and for the full credits, visit music and soundtrack and cast and crew.