Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana is facing criticism over its song Mangal Rang, composed by AR Rahman. Some people on social media have objected to the song’s qawwali touch, questioning its suitability for a film based on the Hindu epic.
Amid this controversy, lyricist Manoj Muntashir shared an old song from Adipurush on social media. This led to criticism, with some accusing him of trying to gain attention. A TV news channel also questioned whether Ramayana was following the same approach as Adipurush.
Muntashir responded strongly to the criticism. Defending the Adipurush songs, he said, “Go to Shri Ayodhya sometime, and you’ll hear nothing but Adipurush songs playing in every alley.”
He also said, “I didn’t write nursery rhymes for Ram, nor qawwalis.” Referring to the criticism he faced after Adipurush, Muntashir said he had apologised to Ram devotees many times for his mistakes and believed he had been forgiven. However, he made it clear that he did not want his songs to be questioned again.
He also criticised the news channel for comparing the two films and ended his response with a sarcastic remark: “My brother, I wish my stunt had been repeated in the songs of Ramayana.”
Meanwhile, AR Rahman has also responded to the discussion around Mangal Rang. He said he had no energy left to look at feedback after putting so much work into the project.
The controversy has brought Adipurush back into the conversation, even though Muntashir was not involved in Ramayana. The debate now centres on the music and how songs in films based on the Ramayana should be presented.