Ramayana’s Jai Jai Ram blends A.R. Rahman’s music, Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal’s vocals with Ranbir Kapoor-Sai Pallavi’s Ram-Sita pairing

New Delhi: The first song from ‘Ramayana’, ‘Jai Jai Ram’, beautifully blends devotion, emotion and cinematic grandeur. A.R. Rahman’s music, Dr. Kumar Vishwas’ lyrics and the voices of Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal turn the track into more than just a film song. It attempts to connect the audience with both devotion to Lord Ram and the emotional bonds between the characters.

Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited film ‘Ramayana’ has released its first song, ‘Jai Jai Ram’, on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. The song offers audiences another glimpse into the world of the film. A.R. Rahman has composed the track, Dr. Kumar Vishwas has written the lyrics, while Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal have lent their voices to it. Ranbir Kapoor appears as Lord Ram, while Sai Pallavi plays Mata Sita.

How is ‘Jai Jai Ram’?

The biggest strength of ‘Jai Jai Ram’ lies in how quickly it establishes itself as a devotional cinematic song. It does not follow the format of a conventional Bollywood romantic or dance number. Instead, it builds its mood around prayer, devotion and emotional connection.

A.R. Rahman retains the solemnity of devotion while giving the composition the scale required for the big screen. The recurring ‘Jai Jai Ram’ refrain creates a chanting effect and gives the song a distinctive identity.

The Indian Express also described the track as a blend of the spirituality of an aarti and cinematic grandeur. The song, therefore, does more than accompany a sequence from the story. It attempts to emotionally transport the audience into the world of Ram.

How effective are Arijit and Shreya’s voices?

The choice of singers works particularly well here. Arijit Singh brings a sense of depth and melancholy to the song, while Shreya Ghoshal adds softness and devotion to the vocals.

Their voices complement each other and prevent the song from becoming overly melodramatic. The makers have also avoided allowing the vocals to overpower the composition. Instead, the singing and music support each other.

If the song has one limitation, it is that it does not feel as instantly catchy as a mainstream Bollywood single might on the first listen. However, ‘Jai Jai Ram’ does not appear designed to become an immediate earworm. Its impact grows gradually with repeated listening.

Kumar Vishwas’ lyrics

The language of the song stands out as one of its strongest elements. Instead of making the lyrics overly complex or heavily Sanskritised, Kumar Vishwas attempts to express the relationship between the devotee and the divine in simple, emotional terms.

Vishwas has previously said that his aim was not merely to describe Lord Ram but to give words to the relationship between Ram and his devotee. As a result, the song feels less like a narration of the Ramayana and more like a personal conversation between a devotee and his beloved deity.

The visuals are the song’s biggest highlight

The song truly becomes grand through its visual presentation.

‘Jai Jai Ram’ offers glimpses of Ram and Sita’s wedding, Sita’s swayamvar, Ram lifting the Shiva bow, celebrations in Ayodhya and several emotional family moments. It also hints at the struggles Ram will face and the relationships that shape his journey.

The makers have portrayed Ranbir Kapoor as Ram as calm and restrained. Sai Pallavi’s Sita carries an air of dignity and softness.

One of the most emotional sequences appears to involve Ram and Bharat’s reunion. In these moments, the film’s massive scale takes a back seat and the emotions of brotherhood and separation come to the forefront.

How does the Ranbir-Sai pairing look?

The makers have presented Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi’s chemistry as Ram and Sita in a dignified and understated manner rather than making it overtly romantic.

Their pairing looks visually appealing in the wedding and Ayodhya sequences. However, it would be too early to judge their overall performances based on a song that shows only selected moments from the film.

Still, in this first glimpse, both actors’ screen presence appears to complement the film’s devotional tone.

VFX and cinematography show improvement

The early promotional material for ‘Ramayana’ sparked considerable discussion on social media over its VFX. Following the release of ‘Jai Jai Ram’, several viewers have praised the production quality, cinematography and visual effects, with many noting an improvement in the overall presentation.

According to a report by The Times of India, early reactions particularly highlighted the improved visuals, with audiences suggesting that the makers had taken their feedback seriously.

However, viewers can only judge the film’s overall VFX quality after watching the complete movie. While some shots in the song look impressive, drawing a final verdict on the film’s technical quality based on such a limited visual sample would be premature.