Jai Jai Ram may not have the lyrical punch of A R Rahman’s earlier devotional tracks, but Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh’s vocals give this Ramayana anthem the spiritual grandeur it needs.
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi in Ramayana: Part 1.
Key Points
- The first song from Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, Jai Jai Ram, was released on Ganesh Chaturthi, with music by A R Rahman and lyrics by Kumar Vishwas.
- The song celebrates Lord Ram’s gentleness, dutifulness, and fierceness, with Shreya Ghoshal’s tender vocals and Arijit Singh’s energetic contribution.
- Visuals for Jai Jai Ram show Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita, with Adinath Kothare as Bharat though some artificiality in the visuals and the casting choices continue to be subjects of discussion.
Despite converting to Islam at a very young age, Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman has delivered four of the most notable movie songs dedicated to two avatars of Lord Vishnu.
We have had Lagaan‘s Radha Kaise Na Jale and O Palanhaare (about Lord Krishna), Swades‘ Pal Pal Hai Bhari (about Lord Ram), and Jodhaa Akbar‘s Man Mohanaa (Lord Krishna). And I am speaking just about the very popular ones here.
Lagaan, Swades and Jodhaa Akbar (all directed by Ashutosh Gowariker) were not devotional or mythological films, yet they featured these lovely devotional tracks elevated entirely by the Rahman magic, with Javed Akhtar (a born Muslim, self-confessed atheist) penning the beautiful lyrics.
Jai Jai Ram: A New Devotional Offering
IMAGE: Sonal Jha, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, Ranbir Kapoor, Indira Krishnan, Adinath Kothare and Lara Dutta in Ramayana: Part 1.
Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is obviously steeped deep in Hindu mythology.
With Rahman scoring the film, we naturally expect yet another fantastic soundtrack guaranteed to win over the devotees. The makers dropped the first song, Jai Jai Ram, on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on September 14.
For Ram bhakts, the song hits exactly the way it should. It is a track meant to celebrate the gentleness, dutifulness and fierceness of Lord Ram as a loving husband, an obedient son and a formidable warrior.
The Singers Elevate The Track
IMAGE: Sai Pallavi in Ramayana: Part 1.
Shreya Ghoshal and Arijit Singh (who is still churning out tracks despite announcing his retirement from playback singing a few months ago) have lent their vocals.
I particularly love Shreya’s portions. It is always a pleasant feeling to hear her voice, and she brings a distinct tenderness when singing the praises of Lord Ram.
When her fellow (half) Bengali singer enters the scene, the momentum shifts, raising the tempo and the pitch. I was reminded of Thaniye, Rahman’s own track from his Tamil film Rhythm (which he later reused as Nachle in Lakeer), particularly the Rasanai Ennum Oru Pulliyil portion.
Not saying the tracks are identical, but I just felt a sense of familiarity.
Also, I am a fan of using the mridangam as the percussion instrument here. It is a really nice touch.
Interesting Use Of A Popular Hymn
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor in Ramayana: Part 1.
While Rahman is bereft of Javed Akhtar’s lyrics this time, Jai Jai Ram is penned by poet and politician Kumar Vishwas, with most of the lines borrowed from popular Lord Vishnu and Ram bhajans.
There is an interesting use of Achyutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram to praise Lord Ram, especially since the verse is typically associated with Lord Krishna. (If its origins are to be believed, Adi Shankara actually wrote the original hymn in praise of Vishnu’s many avatars.)
Lord Krishna was born in the Dwapara Yuga, well after Lord Ram’s reign ended in the Treta Yuga. This makes me believe that Jai Jai Ram song is far better suited as a promotional track or perhaps an end-credits anthem.
It makes very little sense for characters within the film to sing praises of their noble prince while casually mentioning an avatar who has not even been born yet.
The Visuals Still A Mixed Bag
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor in Ramayana: Part 1.
Speaking of the visuals, most of the scenes are the ones we have already seen in the trailer with a few new moments and extensions. Some have been slightly altered.
Going by the Internet chatter, the makers seemed to have listened to the feedback from the trailer and actively added, err… more trees to the forest scenes.
However, I still cannot shake the nagging sense of artificiality in the visuals, particularly the over-use of VFX and green-screens dominating nearly every moment. Even though the actors are definitely real, many portions feel exactly like watching highly polished AI-generated footage. I really hope the final movie manages to blow my mind in a good way.
Ranbir Kapoor And Sai Pallavi
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi in Ramayana: Part 1.
Of course, there is a massive focus on Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, and the jury is still out on whether he is the right fit.
We are not exactly seeing the full performance yet, just how he physically inhabits the character. All we can honestly say right now is that he might fit the part slightly better than a certain Pan-India star who played the role more recently.
Just that.
Sai Pallavi looks ethereal as Sita, particularly in the swayamvar scene and when Sita Ma and Lord Ram are heralded in Ayodhya by the massive crowds after their marriage. I hope she silences all the naysayers who initially questioned her casting after the movie comes out.
dinath Kothare As Bharata
IMAGE: Adinath Kothare in Ramayana: Part 1.
Yash was absent from the song as Ravana, but we finally got our first proper look at Marathi actor-filmmaker Adinath Kothare as Bharat.
He is noticeable in the grand wedding scene and, of course, during the emotional forest reunion with his elder brother.
The song seems to ignore Shatrughan (Nitish Sharma), though; the character is notably missing during the wedding scene of his eldest brother’s brother, with Lord Ram being flanked on his sides by Lakshman (Ravi Dubey) and Bharat.
WATCH: Jai Jai Ram From Ramayana: Part 1
Overall, the song works well for anyone expecting a nice musical tribute to Lord Ram that matches the tone and sweeping emotions expected from the film.
While it might be too early to call it, Jai Jai Ram does not quite bring the same philosophical depth as the earlier Rahman tracks I mentioned, largely due to the sheer over-familiarity of the lyrics and even the tune for the matter.
But within its own space, it is a pleasant song bolstered by powerful backing from Ghoshal and Singh.
Ramayana: Part 1 releases in India on November 6.
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Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
