The Ravana Tandav song has arrived as the second musical offering from Nitesh Tiwari’s much-awaited mythological epic Ramayana, and it has instantly become the most talked-about piece of the film’s promotional rollout.
Released by T-Series and Sony Music on their respective YouTube channels on Dussehra (October 20, 2026), the Ravana Tandav song finds Yash, in his avatar as the ten-headed demon king, performing an intense dance set to the ancient Shiva Tandava Stotram — a hymn traditionally believed to have been composed by Ravana himself.
Here is a comprehensive breakdown of everything verifiable about the track, its makers, its context within the Ramayana soundtrack, and how publications across India have reacted to it.
When and Where the Ravana Tandav Song Dropped
According to reporting from India TV News, the makers of Ramayana released the film’s second song, Ravana Tandav, adding to the anticipation around Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming mythological epic.
The outlet further noted that the new track follows the release of Jai Jai Ram, the film’s first song, which was composed by AR Rahman and sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. Read the full India TV News report here.
The timing of the Ravana Tandav song‘s release was deliberate — it dropped precisely on Dussehra, the festival that marks the symbolic victory of Rama over Ravana. As OdishaTV put it, Dussehra brought a powerful glimpse into the world of Ramayana, with the makers releasing Ravana Tandav, featuring Yash in an intense performance set to the Shiv Tandav Stotram.
Who’s Behind the Ravana Tandav Song: Full Credits
The Ravana Tandav song brings together an unusually heavyweight creative team. Per the official credits listed on Bollywood Hungama, the song features vocals by Vishal Dadlani, lyrics by Dr Kumar Vishwas, and music supervision by A.R. Ameen and Hiral Viradia, with musicians including percussionists Sivamai, Sai Shravanam, Hari Prasadh T S, Karthik Vamsi, Ranjith and Sarvesh Karthik, veena by Haritha Raj, sitar by Asad Khan, and additional vocals by Omkar.
The film’s score at large is composed jointly by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, making the Ravana Tandav song a product of an East-meets-West composing partnership.
OdishaTV’s coverage confirms the same creative trio at the song’s core, noting that AR Rahman composed the music while Dr Kumar Vishwas wrote the lyrics, with Vishal Dadlani on vocals — a track that brings together some of the most prominent names in the Indian music industry.
What Happens in the Ravana Tandav Song
The official synopsis accompanying the YouTube premiere describes the Ravana Tandav song as “a powerful expression of devotion to Lord Shiva,” released to mark Dussehra as part of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
Structurally, the song is built around the Shiva Tandava Stotram, the Sanskrit hymn that Hindu mythology holds was composed by Ravana after he attempted to lift Mount Kailash and was trapped beneath it by Lord Shiva; according to the legend documented on Wikipedia, Shiva pressed the mountain down with his toe, trapping Ravana, who then sang hymns in praise of Shiva for a thousand years — verses that came to be known as the Shiva Tandava Stotra. That mythological backstory is precisely what the Ravana Tandav song dramatizes on screen.
OdishaTV’s review-style coverage describes the opening moments in detail, noting that the video begins with Ravana cutting his palm with a dagger, and as the Shiv Tandav Stotram fills the soundtrack, Yash delivers an energetic performance, with the sequence also featuring montage shots offering glimpses of Ravana’s imposing presence.
Hindi entertainment portal AajTak carried one of the most descriptive breakdowns of the visual: Yash’s portrayal captures Ravana’s intensity, aggression and body language forcefully, with the actor conveying Ravana’s eagerness to please his god Mahadev; his look matches his dance form perfectly, and the song’s VFX amplifies the dangerous aura of Ravana in every scene, as he performs the tandav alternately wielding a damru and a trishul. Read AajTak’s full Hindi-language review here.
Critical and Fan Reaction to the Ravana Tandav Song
Reception to the Ravana Tandav song has, so far, been markedly positive — a notable contrast to some of the earlier criticism the film faced over casting and VFX choices. AajTak observed that while Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana has been trolled over its casting, VFX and the actors’ costumes, this song functions as an antidote to all that criticism, with Yash delivering an all-out performance in the Shiv Tandav track.
The outlet added that A.R. Rahman’s distinct composition for Ravana’s Shiv Tandav, developed alongside Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, demonstrates why Rahman is regarded as the “best of the best,” while Vishal Dadlani’s vocals suit high-energy tracks better than almost anyone else in the industry.
On audience response specifically, AajTak reported that the public has praised Yash’s look, his dancing and the composition, with some viewers saying the song gave them goosebumps, describing his tandav performance as worth every rupee, and predicting that the Shiv Tandav song will dominate conversation for years to come.
OdishaTV echoed this sentiment, noting that Yash’s portrayal of Ravana and his powerful performance in the newly released video appears to have struck a chord with fans.
The Ravana Tandav Song in the Context of Ramayana’s Wider Rollout
The Ravana Tandav song lands at a pivotal promotional moment for Ramayana. India TV News reported that the song’s release coincides with advance booking opening for Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi’s epic, and that the film’s India release date has been shifted to November 5, 2026.
The publication added that the film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana, under the direction of Nitesh Tiwari and production of Namit Malhotra, and that Ramayana is mounted on a reported combined budget of around ₹4,000 crore across both parts, developed for audiences in India and overseas.
Bollywood Hungama’s listing of the film confirms the broader ensemble cast tied to the Ravana Tandav song’s release, noting Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman, with the screenplay adapted by Shridhar Raghavan and Nitesh Tiwari, and that the film is set for worldwide theatrical release in cinemas during Diwali 2026. View Bollywood Hungama’s official movie page and song credits here.
District.in’s listing corroborates the project’s scale, describing Ramayana as an epic saga chronicling the timeless clash between Rama and Ravana, set against a grand mythological canvas as a tale of dharma prevailing over adharma, with the film releasing in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and English. See the District.in listing here.
Entertainment blog Kota Notes also covered the drop, confirming that the track features rockstar vocals by Vishal Dadlani and showcases Yash in his formidable avatar as Ravana performing the intense Shiv Tandav, capturing the raw power, devotion and larger-than-life energy of Ravana as he dances in front of Lord Shiva’s massive idol. Read the Kota Notes breakdown here.
Why the Ravana Tandav Song Matters for Ramayana’s Narrative
Beyond its promotional value, the Ravana Tandav song is significant because it reframes Ravana not purely as a villain but, in keeping with Hindu tradition, as one of Lord Shiva’s most devoted followers. This mirrors the original legend behind the Shiva Tandava Stotra — composed, per tradition, by Ravana after his encounter with Shiva at Mount Kailash.
By opening the character’s arc with a devotional, almost reverent sequence rather than a purely antagonistic introduction, Nitesh Tiwari’s team appears to be setting up a more layered portrayal of Ravana ahead of the film’s November 5 release — one where the Ravana Tandav song serves as both a character study and a musical centerpiece.
Quick Facts: Ravana Tandav Song
- Released on: October 20, 2026 (Dussehra), by T-Series and Sony Music on YouTube
- Singer: Vishal Dadlani
- Lyricist: Dr Kumar Vishwas
- Music: A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer
- Performed on-screen by: Yash, as Ravana
- Film: Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, produced by Namit Malhotra
- Film release date: November 5, 2026 (worldwide)
- Preceding song: Jai Jai Ram (sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal)
Publications That Covered the Ravana Tandav Song
With Ramayana now just two weeks from its theatrical debut, the Ravana Tandav song has done exactly what a promotional single is meant to do: it has reignited conversation, won over skeptics, and given audiences a visceral preview of Yash’s Ravana.
Whether it translates into box-office momentum remains to be seen, but as a standalone piece of mythological spectacle, the Ravana Tandav song has already carved its place in this Dussehra’s pop-culture conversation.
