Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman recently spoke about collaborating on filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming epic Ramayana despite being Muslim, and said that art and knowledge cannot be restricted
by religious boundaries. The composer, who has worked alongside Oscar-winning musician Hans Zimmer on the project, said his upbringing exposed him to Indian epics early on.
In a recent interaction on BBC Asian’s YouTube channel, Rahman also addressed questions around faith and identity while speaking about his involvement in Ramayana. He stressed on the need to rise above religious divisions and “small-mindedness.”
“I studied in a Brahmin school, and every year we had Ramayana and Mahabharata, so I know the story,” Rahman said.
Rahman added that the essence of the epic lies in values and ideals rather than religious labels. “The story is about how virtuous a person is, higher ideals, and all that stuff. People may argue, but I value all those good things - any good things that you can learn from,” he noted.
Rahman further quoted religious teachings to underline his point, saying knowledge should be embraced irrespective of its source. “The prophet has said that knowledge is something invaluable, no matter where you get it from - a king, a beggar, a good act or a bad one. You can’t shy away from things,” he said.
Rahman said society needs to move beyond narrow thinking. “I think we need to elevate from small-mindedness and selfishness. When we elevate, we become radiant, and that’s very important,” he said, adding that he takes pride in being part of a project that represents India on a global stage. “Hans Zimmer is Jewish, I am Muslim, and the Ramayana is Hindu. It’s coming from India to the whole world, with love,” Rahman said.
For those unversed, born as Dileep Kumar Rajagopala in Madras, Rahman converted to Islam in 1989.
About Ramayana
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is being mounted on a massive scale. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The project has reportedly been in development for nearly a decade to ensure accuracy and scale.
The two-part film will release on Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027. The ensemble cast also reportedly includes Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Arun Govil as Dasharath and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, among others. The film is said to be made on a budget exceeding Rs 4,000 crore.
