Following the release of “Mangal Rang”—a sacred track from Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming cinematic epic Ramayana, composed by A.R. Rahman and sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal—social media platforms have ignited in debate over a specific visual sequence.
The scene depicts women applying yellow paste to Lord Rama (Ranbir Kapoor) while Maa Sita (Sai Pallavi) stands nearby. The visual led many online users to question whether the filmmakers altered traditional Hindu wedding customs by having the bride attend the groom’s Haldi ceremony.
Key Highlights of the Social Media Debate
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The Haldi Criticism:
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Critics on platform X argued that traditional wedding rituals mandate separate pre-wedding Haldi ceremonies at the bride’s and groom’s respective homes, calling Maa Sita’s presence alongside Lord Rama inaccurate for a pre-wedding ritual.
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The Coronation (Rajyabhishek) Counter-Argument:
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Defenders and sharp-eyed fans pointed out that the scene was taken out of context, clarifying that it depicts the pre-coronation royal anointing ritual (Rajyabhishek) rather than a wedding ceremony.
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Commentators highlighted that Maa Sita’s attire and jewelry match the sequence leading up to the coronation and subsequent exile request, confirming the ritual takes place after their marriage in Ayodhya.
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Others noted that Lord Rama and Maa Sita were married in Mithila, making an Ayodhya-based pre-wedding Haldi contextually improbable.
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About the Film
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana features an ensemble star cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh, and Lara Dutta, with a worldwide theatrical release scheduled for November 5.
