{
  "id": 18415521,
  "title": "Ramayana Rahman-Zimmer collab: How exactly is music composed for films?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/ramayana-rahman-zimmer-collab-how-exactly-is-music-composed-for-films",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T01:23:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-culture/ramayana-rahman-zimmer-collab-how-music-composed-for-films-10952360/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a film, music serves various purposes, such as setting the tone, embodying a character's emotions, intensifying suspense, or enhancing memorable moments. However, the process of creating a film's score differs from composing songs for a movie. The recent collaboration between German-born Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer and Indian composer AR Rahman for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana highlights the intricacies involved in this process. Both composers are working on the film's music and score, merging their distinct musical backgrounds for a production conceived in multiple languages and versions.\n\nThe journey of composing for a film typically begins with discussions between the director and composer. After the film's development, they watch the movie together, pinpointing the scenes requiring music, where silence might be more effective, and the emotions to be evoked. This crucial step is known as a spotting session. The director and composer then determine the precise moments when music should commence and conclude, as well as the desired effect. For instance, a scene depicting a character reminiscing about a loved one might necessitate a recurring melody, whereas a chase sequence would demand swift percussion and escalating tension.\n\nOnce the musical language of the film is established, the composer embarks on researching the story's historical or cultural context and the appropriate instruments and musical traditions. For example, Hans Zimmer, renowned for his meticulous research, once delved into the Fibonacci sequence to inspire the musical themes in The Da Vinci Code. Zimmer expressed, \"What these films allow me to do is to go and start learning something. I mean, Inception was so about suddenly discovering the English mathematician Roger Penrose. And just going on that whole journey...\"\n\nA key aspect of film scoring is the use of recurring musical themes, called leitmotifs. Each character, place, or idea may possess its unique musical identity, which resurfaces at significant moments. Komolika's signature \"likaa…\" leitmotif in Kasautii Zindagi Kay serves as an example of this technique.\n\nThe composer then crafts musical sketches or digital mock-ups, enabling the director to perceive how the music might sound before the final recording. Digital audio workstations and virtual instruments can simulate an entire orchestra, allowing composers to experiment with arrangements. Subsequently, the composer moves on to orchestration, deciding which instruments will play specific parts. If a live orchestra is required, orchestrators prepare sheet music for the musicians. The music is subsequently recorded, often with the composer conducting or overseeing the session. Finally, the composition undergoes mixing and integration with the film's dialogue and sound effects.\n\nNot every film follows this conventional path. Some composers, particularly in the era of digital technology, create the majority of the music using synthesizers and computers, while others collaborate with large teams of arrangers, orchestrators, sound designers, and recording engineers. The differences between Bollywood's and Hollywood's music usage are evident. In Bollywood, songs have traditionally been a central part of the narrative, often accompanied by elaborate choreography and actors lip-syncing to playback singers. In contrast, Hollywood has historically emphasized background scores in mainstream narrative films. Songs, when featured, are frequently licensed from existing musicians or composed separately for the film. Hollywood musicals are an exception, integrating songs into the narrative. The organizational structure of film music also varies, with Hindi cinema's music directors often leading a network of arrangers, assistants, lyricists, and studio musicians, while Hollywood composers are generally commissioned to create the film's score, with specialized teams handling orchestration, music editing, sound design, and recording. However, these are general trends, and both industries have undergone significant transformations in recent years.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "From Ramayana to RRR: The most expensive Indian films ever made",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/from-ramayana-to-rrr-the-most-expensive-indian-films-ever-made",
        "published": "2026-11-05T12:37:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}