Ramayana: Part 1

Premise

The narrative chronicles the early life and trials of Prince Rama, the righteous heir apparent to the kingdom of Ayodhya. Mentored by the venerable sage Vishvamitra, Rama establishes his martial and spiritual virtue by vanquishing the malevolent Rakshasi, Tataka. His journey progresses to the kingdom of Mithila, where he successfully strings the Pinaka (the divine bow of Lord Shiva) during a royal swayamvara, thereby securing the hand of Princess Sita in marriage.

However, the rightful succession is disrupted by dynastic intrigue when his stepmother, Queen Kaikeyi, invokes ancient boons to demand Rama's disenfranchisement and his subsequent fourteen-year exile. Bound by unwavering filial piety and dharma, Rama renounces the throne and departs for the perilous Dandaka Forest, accompanied by his devoted wife, Sita, and his loyal brother, Lakshmana. The exiles' ascetic existence is violently upended when Ravana, the formidable Rakshasa monarch of Lanka, orchestrates Sita's abduction through the illusory manifestation of a golden deer (Maricha). The instla culminates in this profound severance, initiating Rama and Lakshmana's arduous quest to locate the abducted princess and setting the stage for an impending cosmic conflict.

Production

Origins

In May 2017, producers Allu Aravind, Namit Malhotra, and Madhu Mantena announced their plans to collaborate and adapt the Hindu Sanskrit epic Ramayana into a live-action feature film trilogy. They revealed that the development of the script had already been underway for nearly a year. It was envisioned as a multilingual production in Hindi along with several Indian regional languages and English. It was planned to be shot in 3D. Allu Aravind stated that his ambition was to bring Ramayana to the big screen in the "most magnificent way possible", while acknowledging that adapting the epic into a trilogy was an immense responsibility. Namit Malhotra, whose company Prime Focus had contributed visual effects to major Hollywood films like Star Wars, Transformers, X-Men: Apocalypse and The Martian until then, saw in the trilogy the potential to set new global benchmarks for Indian cinema. In February 2018, Mantena revealed that his inspiration to make the film series came from the life and work of Indian comic book writer Anant Pai, who had created the Amar Chitra Katha comics. He added that the film series was their collective effort in retelling Indian culture to newer generations in all possible "audio visual glory", with the help of the latest technology and visual effects. As the last widely recognised adaptations of the epic had been the television series, Ramayan (1987–88) by Ramanand Sagar, the producers stated that they wanted to adapt Ramayana for theatrical release.

Development

In July 2019, Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar came on board to co-direct the trilogy, while Shridhar Raghavan was hired to write the screenplay. Tiwari and Udyawar said they were motivated to undertake the project out of a sense of responsibility toward introducing the epic to their children, who, according to Tiwari, were familiar with the broad outline of the Ramayana but had not engaged with it in depth. Tiwari further cited the significant advancements in visual effects since the 1987–88 Ramayan television series as another factor behind the project. The producers' planned to commence filming by 2020 and maintain a relatively short gap between the release of each part. The first instalment was scheduled to be released in 2021. The production team commissioned paintings by artists from across India to serve as references for the films' settings, costumes, character designs and action sequences. The project also aimed to cast actors from different regional film industries to appeal to pan-Indian and international audiences.

Pre-production

In November 2019, Tiwari said that Raghavan had been writing the screenplay for the past three years under the guidance of scholars and pandits with expertise in the scriptures and epic, to ensure that the adaptation remained culturally accurate while making it accessible to contemporary audiences. In April 2020, Tiwari stated that they were carefully identifying aspects of the story that should remain unchanged while determining where limited cinematic liberties could be taken without affecting the epic's cultural and religious significance. Tiwari further added that the team sought to make the film appealing to younger audiences while remaining faithful to the expectations of audiences familiar with traditional retellings. He also described the project as technologically demanding because of its extensive visual effects requirements, citing the epic's fantastical settings and creatures as presenting opportunities for large-scale world-building. During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the development of screenplay continued through virtual meetings involving members of the creative team across the country.

In June 2021, Mantena said that the trilogy was being developed as a long-term project, revealing that more than 200 artists from around the world, including several Academy Award winners, had been working on it for two years using a production process inspired by Avatar. The following month, he described the trilogy as a linear adaptation of Valmiki's Ramayana that would incorporate many of the epic's subsidiary narratives while extensive digital assets were being created during pre-production. In September 2021, Mantena said that the filmmakers were primarily drawing from Valmiki's Ramayana while also studying artistic interpretations by painters such as Raja Ravi Varma, emphasising that the project was intended to be a traditional adaptation rather than a reinterpretation of the epic. In December 2022, Mantena said that the screenplay was expected to be completed within a few months, with principal photography planned to begin in September 2023. In June 2023, he dismissed reports that the project had been indefinitely postponed, stating that filming was expected to begin later that year. In March 2024, it was reported that DNEG virtual production had come on board as the producer alongside Mantena. In the same month, it was reported that Mantena had stepped back from his role as a producer citing financial concerns. He later got involved in a legal tussle with Malhotra's Prime Focus Technologies regarding the IP rights of the film, which was ultimately settled when he was provided compensation of ₹80 crore. Later, in April 2024, it was confirmed that Yash through his company Monster Mind Creations was co-producing the film alongside Malhotra.

Casting

In July 2021, Mantena said that the ensemble cast would be announced by Diwali later that year. He stated that the film would feature what he described as "the biggest cast ever in the history of Indian cinema" and that actors would be drawn from across the country, saying the casting reflected the filmmakers' intention to present the epic as a pan-Indian project. Mukesh Chhabra was announced as the casting director for the film. In August 2023, Ranbir Kapoor and Yash joined the film for the roles of Rama and Ravana respectively. Later, Kapoor was confirmed to play dual role of Rama as well as Parashurama. In the same month Sai Pallavi joined the cast for the role of Sita. In October 2023, Sunny Deol also joined the cast for the role of Hanuman. He reportedly charged ₹45 crore for his role. In early 2024, Vijay Sethupathi was rumoured to play the role of Vibhishana in the film, however later he declined these rumours. Similarly, Bobby Deol was also reportedly rumoured to play the role of Kumbhakarna which also turned false. In February 2024, Rakul Preet Singh reportedly joined the cast for the role of Shurpanakha. In March 2024, Ravi Dubey also reportedly joined the film for the role of Lakshmana. In April 2024, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta and Sheeba Chaddha were also confirmed to be part of the film after images leaked from the sets confirmed their presence. In July 2024, Kunal Kapoor was confirmed to play an important role in the film. In September 2024, Indira Krishnan also the joined the cast. In May 2025, Kajal Aggarwal joined the cast for the role of Mandodari. Vivek Oberoi joined the cast in June 2025 while Adinath Kothare and Shobana joined the cast in July 2025. Amitabh Bachchan was rumoured to voice the character of Jatayu, however later Anupam Kher was confirmed for the same. In March 2026, Faisal Malik was confirmed to play the role of Kumbhakarna. Harish Uthaman reportedly joined the cast for the role of Vibhishana while Raghav Juyal will reportedly play the role of Meghanada.

Filming

Part 1

In January 2024, reports indicated that Kapoor and Pallavi were expected to begin filming in March, with dialogue-heavy scenes scheduled first, followed by large-scale crowd and battle sequences. In March, filming was reportedly postponed to April to allow additional time for the completion of costumes and production design. Principal photography for the first part began on 2 April, in Film City, Mumbai, under the working title God Power. The opening schedule featured gurukula sequences involving the child actors portraying the four princes of Ayodhya and Shishir Sharma as Vasishtha, with a specially constructed Ayodhya set serving as the primary filming location. On 5 April, pictures from the sets, featuring pictures of actors Arun Govil, Lara Dutta and Sheeba Chaddha and director Tiwari, were leaked onto social media and went viral. Due to this, the makers imposed a strict no-phone policy on the movie sets. On 27 April, pictures of Kapoor and Pallavi were again leaked from the sets. On 30 April, the second schedule commenced in Mumbai. Yash was a part of the schedule, with Pallavi, Kapoor and Deol reportedly joining later. In August, Terry Notary confirmed that he was working as the action director. In May 2025, Guy Norris, known for his work on Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Suicide Squad, was announced as the film's stunt director for its large-scale action sequences and was closely working with Yash to accomplish the same. The principal photography for the first part wrapped by 1 July.

Part 2

Principal photography for the second part began in March 2026 in Mumbai.

Post-production

The film will reportedly be in post-production for 600 days. Visual effects were handled by DNEG who also co-produced the film.

Music

The film score and soundtrack are composed by Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman, marking Zimmer's debut work in Indian cinema. Rahman had described the creative process as "terrifying" and "complicated" due to the epic's cultural significance, noting that the duo is working to blend Zimmer's soundscapes with traditional Indian elements. The score features the integration of Sanskrit verses, which Rahman added to the initial thematic soundscapes developed by Zimmer. Additionally, poet and lyricist Kumar Vishwas contributed lyrics inspired by the film's narrative. Karthik Netha adapted the lyrics in Tamil, Rakendu Mouli in Telugu, Vinayak Sasikumar in Malayalam and Karthik Saragur in Kannada.

In July 2026, T-Series acquired music rights to both parts of the film in a deal worth around ₹75 crore. The first single titled "Jai Jai Ram" was released on 14 September 2026, coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi. The second single titled "Ravana Tandav" was released on 20 October 2026, coinciding with Dussehra. The full album was released at the event held on 21 October 2026 in Chennai Trade Centre, Nandambakkam.

Marketing

On 6 November 2024, Malhotra officially announced Ramayana: Part 1 and Part 2 through a poster, along with the release windows for both films. Malhotra had repeatedly marketed the project as a global film, presenting an Indian subject but for the world. The first glimpse titled "Ramayana: The Introduction" was released online on 3 July 2025 and screened in 9 Indian cities for fans. In Mumbai, Malhotra and Tiwari paid a special surprise visit to the audience and interacted with them as well. On 26 March 2026, coinciding with Ram Navami, the makers announced the next phase of the film's promotional campaign, with the first glimpse of Kapoor as Rama was released on 2 April 2026, coinciding with Hanuman Jayanti. Ahead of its public release, the makers held private preview screenings of the glimpse in the United States to promote the film internationally. The first screening took place at an IMAX theatre in Burbank, California, on 30 March 2026, attended by Kapoor, Tiwari and Malhotra. A second screening, followed by a question-and-answer session with the filmmakers, was held in New York City on 31 March 2026. During this event, Tiwari discussed the casting of Kapoor, citing the character's restrained nature, compassion, and physicality as key considerations. At the CinemaCon 2026 event in Los Angeles, Malhotra said that the film would combine elements of fantasy and human drama from films like The Lord of the Rings and Gladiator.

On 18 July 2026, an event, titled "Pratham Sankalp" was held in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi where the film's official trailer was exclusively showcased. Following the event, a short clip from the trailer was leaked on various social media platforms. The trailer was also showcased in the San Diego Comic Con on 23 July. The next day on 24 July, the trailer was set to be released worldwide on all digital platforms however it was delayed. Later, the official trailer was released digitally on 30 July 2026. On 5 August 2026, an English version of the trailer with lip-synced performances using Brahma AI was released with some minor tweaks to selected shots. In the same month, an exclusive 15 minutes of footage from the film was shown at the Big Cine Expo 2026 in Chennai. On 26 September 2026, a pre-release event took place in Mumbai which was attended by YouTuber MrBeast as part of a strategic global marketing campaign. On 28 September 2026, the makers released a behind-the-scenes video of Kapoor's transformation as Rama, thus coinciding with his 44th birthday. An international trailer was released on 15 October 2026 at a special event in Bengaluru. The event was attended by the film's main cast and crew alongside Malhotra. On 19 October 2026, a pre-release event was held in JRC Convention Center in Hyderabad. At the event Malhotra revealed his plans of converting the duology into a franchise and further into a larger cinematic universe. On 20 October, another pre-release event was held in Kolkata where the film was declared tax-free by CM Suvendu Adhikari. Later, Kapoor, Pallavi and Dubey also went to Kaun Banega Crorepati to promote the film alongside Amitabh Bachchan. On 1 November 2026, a special screening of the film took place in London. On 3 November, special media screening took place across Mumbai. Several media and press screenings were held across Delhi and Mumbai on 4 November.

Release

Theatrical

Ramayana: Part 1 was premiered at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on 27 October 2026. It was theatrically released on 5 November 2026. It was initially planned to release in India two days later on 8 November, coinciding with Diwali; however, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced the 6 November worldwide release date in early September. Later, the release date was preponed by a day. It served as the first instalment of a planned two-part epic. It was released in multiple languages with IMAX presentations as part of a large-scale global rollout. The film was reportedly released across 59,000 screens worldwide, including 50,000 screens in overseas markets and 9,000 screens in India. In China, the film will reportedly release under the title Ramayana: The Legend of the Prince. It became the first Indian film to be released in the ScreenX format. In the overseas regions, the film was released under the title Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.

Advance booking

Advance bookings for Ramayana: Part One opened on 20 October 2026, coinciding with Dussehra, ahead of its scheduled theatrical release on 5 November. The film recorded an encouraging start, although the figures published during the first few days varied according to the reporting time and the number of screenings included. On 21 October, Hindustan Times reported that the film had collected ₹3.13 crore in its first 24 hours of advance sales, with 86,187 tickets sold across 3,537 shows in 104 cities. Moneycontrol, reporting on the same opening period, cited a higher figure of ₹4.96 crore. The difference between the reports reflects variations in the booking data and reporting cut-offs, rather than a directly comparable daily increase.

The bookings continued to increase over the following days. By 23 October, India Today reported advance sales of ₹8.27 crore, including seats blocked by cinemas, and ₹6.25 crore after excluding those seats. Around 1.47 lakh tickets had been accounted for across 3,964 shows. The Hindi version was responsible for most of the early demand, while bookings for the Kannada and Telugu versions were also being recorded. The report noted that the increase in confirmed ticket purchases was greater than the increase in cinema-blocked inventory during the period it examined.

On 24 October, India Today reported that the advance gross had reached approximately ₹10.15 crore, or ₹7.98 crore excluding blocked seats. The film had sold about 1.81 lakh tickets across 4,352 shows in 134 cities. The report also recorded the appearance of the first fully booked show. A day later, Moneycontrol reported that advance sales had reached ₹8.72 crore, with ticket sales approaching two lakh. Premium formats, including IMAX and 4DX, were also contributing to the bookings. These figures were reported at different times and should not be read as a fall in collections between 24 and 25 October.

The film's opening-day bookings continued to grow during the final week of October. On the morning of 26 October, the independent trade publication Bolly Bourse reported ₹11.78 crore in opening-day advance sales, including held seats, and ₹9.57 crore excluding them. The tally represented 2,14,273 tickets across 4,658 shows in 157 cities. On 27 October, the same publication reported that the opening-day gross had risen to ₹13.68 crore, with 2,54,815 tickets sold across 6,078 shows in 178 cities. The figure excluding held seats was ₹10.97 crore. The report also recorded 12 shows that had already sold out at that point.

National cinema-chain sales also showed a gradual rise during this period. According to figures compiled by CineInfinity, the film had sold approximately 1.22 lakh tickets through national chains by 28 October. The same tracker recorded around 1.43 lakh tickets on 29 October and approximately 1.55 lakh on 30 October. These figures cover selected national cinema chains and are not the film's total India-wide advance sales.

A separate India-wide snapshot published by NDTV on 29 October put the film's advance gross at ₹15.57 crore, with approximately 2.97 lakh tickets sold across 6,382 shows. Excluding blocked seats, the collection stood at ₹12.77 crore from around 2.41 lakh tickets. Hindi screenings accounted for the largest share, followed by the Kannada and Telugu versions. Delhi–NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai were among the leading markets in the report.

By 1 November, the pace of bookings had increased as more cinemas and screenings became available. A reported snapshot put domestic advance sales at ₹28.73 crore, with approximately 6.69 lakh tickets sold across 20,379 shows. The increase coincided with the expansion of the film's screening availability, including additional single-screen and multiplex shows. On 2 November, India Today reported that Indian advance sales had reached approximately ₹46 crore, with the opening day accounting for ₹25.39 crore. The opening-day figure was ₹21.30 crore after excluding blocked seats. The National Capital Region, Mumbai and Bengaluru were among the strongest markets in the report.

The film crossed a further milestone on 3 November. Financial Express reported that Indian advance bookings across the dates then on sale had reached ₹72.91 crore, including blocked seats, and ₹57.9 crore excluding them. The report recorded approximately 18.56 lakh tickets across 59,822 shows. Its opening-day advance gross was ₹32.37 crore, or ₹27.18 crore excluding blocked seats, from around 8.09 lakh tickets. Hindi accounted for the largest share of domestic bookings, with Kannada and Telugu also contributing. The report placed Maharashtra, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and Gujarat among the leading state markets.

Later on 3 November, The Indian Express reported a domestic advance gross of ₹75.56 crore for the first four days of release, falling to ₹60.09 crore after excluding blocked seats. The tally represented approximately 19.13 lakh tickets across 61,835 shows. For the opening day, 5 November, the report recorded ₹32.59 crore including blocked seats and ₹27.34 crore excluding them, from around 8.16 lakh tickets across 20,159 shows. Opening-day occupancy was reported at 18 per cent including blocked seats and 15 per cent excluding them. The report also recorded 50 fully booked shows. The different totals reported by publications on 3 November reflect separate reporting times and booking coverage, and are not additional amounts to be added together.

Overseas advance sales also contributed substantially to the film's reported pre-release total. Reports published on 3 November placed overseas bookings above ₹40 crore and worldwide advance sales above ₹100 crore. The Indian Express put the worldwide figure at more than ₹115 crore. In North America, paid preview bookings for 4 November had generated more than US$1.2 million, while advance sales for the opening weekend were reported at around US$3 million. These overseas estimates were reported separately from the India figures and use different markets and reporting cut-offs.

In the latest detailed domestic update published on 4 November, India Today reported that advance bookings for the five-day period from 5 to 9 November had reached ₹96.56 crore, including blocked seats, and ₹77.31 crore excluding them. Around 25.65 lakh tickets had been sold across 83,032 shows, of which approximately 20.57 lakh were not blocked seats. The opening day accounted for ₹39.35 crore, or ₹33.34 crore excluding blocked seats, from about 10.11 lakh tickets. The second day had generated ₹18.53 crore, Saturday ₹19.68 crore, Sunday ₹13.23 crore and Monday ₹5.78 crore. Hindi remained the leading language market, with reported advance sales of ₹78.88 crore; Telugu contributed ₹8.09 crore, Kannada ₹7.27 crore, Tamil ₹1.84 crore and Malayalam ₹49.23 lakh. These figures were reported on the eve of the film's theatrical release and represent advance sales rather than its eventual box-office earnings.

Distribution

In July 2026, Dharma Productions acquired the film's North Indian theatrical distribution rights for around ₹250 crore (US$26 million). Later, Sony Pictures Releasing acquired the overseas theatrical distribution rights. Sri Venkateswara Creations acquired the theatrical distribution rights for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while AVA Productions and E4 Entertainment acquired the theatrical distribution rights for Kerala. Think Studios acquired the theatrical distribution rights for Tamil Nadu, while Yash's company, Monster Mind Creations, acquired the theatrical distribution rights for Karnataka.

Home media

Following its theatrical run, the film will begin streaming in India on JioHotstar through a pay-per-view model.

Reception

Box office

Ramayana – Part I grossed ₹175.22 crore (US$18 million) worldwide. It grossed ₹129.86 crore (US$13 million) in India and ₹45.36 crore (US$4.7 million) in overseas market.

On its opening day, the film earned ₹62.47 crore net at the domestic box office, and ₹121.62 crore worldwide.

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 74% of 35 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 63 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 5 stars out of 5, noting, "Ramayana is not merely a film; IT'S AN EXPERIENCE. It is a film that makes India proud and an incredible cinematic achievement that is sure to captivate audiences across the world. Namit Malhotra deserves special appreciation for backing a film that matches international standards in scale, visual grandeur and technical excellence."

Simran Singh of DNA gave the film 4.5 stars out of 5. She called the direction by Tiwari, "[...] first-rate." She also wrote that Raghavan and Tiwari, "[...] deserve a special mention," for screenplay and adaptation from the source material. The producer, Malhotra, according to her, "[...] delivers it with flying colours." In regards to the acting performance of Kapoor, she noted, "Ranbir Kapoor, the star, outshone himself yet again. This time he will also shut down the naysayers who doubted his acting chops. He brings the much-needed calmness and innocence into his portrayal and was excellent in the emotional moments." She called the portrayal of Yash as Ravana, "[...] the biggest driving force of the narrative." For Pallavi, Dubey and the ensemble cast, she wrote, "Sai Pallavi, another fine artiste, doubted by gossipmongers, shuns the negativity with her earnest, honest portrayal. She not only looks pure and pious but is also fearless as Mithila's warrior princess. Ravie as Laxmana lends commendable support in the film. He also brings a subtle humour in a few places seamlessly. In a few scenes, especially in the second half, he shines brighter than Ranbir. Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha looks beautifully vicious and leaves an impactful mark. Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva also shines in his limited role. Arun Govil as King Dashratha adds more value to the character and the narrative. Lara Dutt as Queen Kaikeyi makes her presence amply felt. Anupam Kher in the voice of Jatayu is another valuable addition to the narration. He will leave you in tears in the last scene of the film. Adinath Kothare as Bharat also stands out and does justice to his limited role. Same goes for Saurabh Sachdeva, who makes an impressive impact as Maarich."

Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India also gave the film 4.5 stars out of 5. On Kapoor's performance, she juxtaposed in her review, "With Ramayana, however, Ranbir delivers an almost anti-Animal performance, making a compelling case for an entirely different dimension of his talent. Revered as Maryada Purushottam, the ideal man and the ultimate embodiment of righteousness, responsibility and dharma, Ram is a character who demands extraordinary restraint. Ranbir seems to understand this instinctively. He consciously reins in his natural intensity, allowing emotion to surface through measured expressions, subtle gestures and a remarkably controlled performance."

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 4 stars out of 5, noting, "With its giant canvas and some truly beautiful sunset skyscapes, this very enjoyable film has a little of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and even Disney’s The Lion King (the latter surely influenced the animal-kingdom tableaux). The bizarre flying machine piloted by Ravana (who does not have the ability to fly as such) has something engagingly Gilliamesque about it. As so often with Indian cinema, this movie reminds you of the forthright, unselfconscious storytelling energy that popular Hollywood films had in the 1950s and 60s, the era of sword-and-sandal. It’s a rather amazing adventure."

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times also gave the film 4 stars out 5, writing in the epigraph of his review,

"A slow first half and mixed musical results temper the impact, but strong performances and a memorable Jatayu sequence help the film meet its tall expectations." He observed in his review, "What is also praiseworthy is how care has been taken to cover the basics properly: from how Raavan took over Kuber's Lanka, his Shiv bhakti, that moment of horror when Kaikayi realises her folly- all this sucks you into the film. The makers have not messed with how Indians remember the story. (Hi, Adipurush, here's looking at you." Having praise for Yash, he wrote, "In the performance department, Yash has redeemed himself after Toxic. He owns Ramayana Part 1. Be it his swagger, perpetual expression of smugness as Raavan... he looks, walks, talks the part. The makers have interpreted the ten faces of Raavan brilliantly and it will certainly extract praise." However, the music, according to him, "[...] is a letdown," and Kapoor's performance, "[...] is a mixed bag." He also had praise for the performances by Pallavi and Dubey, and called the scenes in the film involving Jatayu (voiced by Kher), "The highlight of the film [...]"

Vineeta Kumar of India Today gave the film 4 stars out of 5 as well, noting, "Ramayana: Rise of Legend looks breathtaking from the word go." She had praise for action sequences, especially the ones featuring, "[..] Kapoor as Rama battling the demons, [...]" calling them, "[...] genuinely breathtaking." She also had praise for background score by Zimmer. However, she had criticism for the use of the artificial intelligence, writing, "Its use of AI-generated imagery is occasionally too obvious, sometimes even distracting. A few creatures, particularly Khar-Dushan and Kumbhkaran, look caricature-like, sticking out in a world that otherwise demands visual authenticity." For the performance of Kapoor, she wrote, "Ranbir, initially, does make you wonder whether he will break out of the character at any moment and slip into the familiar mannerisms of Bunny from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. But that impression doesn't last. He finds a certain stillness in Rama, a calmness in his movements and a restraint in his expressions that work beautifully for the character. He doesn't overplay the emotional scenes, nor does he lose his energy when the action demands it. There is a quiet conviction to his portrayal, and that is the most important quality he brings to Rama." She appreciated Pallavi for making, "[...] Sita her own," and called Dubey, "[...] perhaps the brightest light in an already impressive ensemble." For the performance of Yash, she wrote, "And then there is Yash as Ravana, a casting choice that feels almost impossible to imagine differently once you see him on screen. He brings together the character's anger, frustration, pride and undeniable charm with remarkable ease. There is an imposing quality to his presence, a physicality that makes him look every bit the ruler who can call himself the 'Trilokpati' – the lord of the three worlds."

Ankit Ojha of The National rated 4/5 and said, "Crafted as a classic revenge tragedy, it uses every weapon in its arsenal to deliver a spectacular cinematic experience without relying on its audience’s religious reverence for the source material.".

Brandon Zachary of Screen Rant gave the film a review score of 7 out of 10. Being highly appreciative of the visual spectacle and technical work, he noted, "On a purely visual and technical level, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is an impressive cinematic achievement." He also had praise for the score by Zimmer and Rahman, cinematography by Mahesh Limaye and Pankaj Kumar and acting performances of Kapoor, Pallavi, Yash and Dubey. However, he critiqued the visual-first approach, writing, "While it may look fantastic, there are some drawbacks to this visual-first approach. The screenplay by Tiwari and Shridhar Raghavan dutifully synthesizes the original epic poem, even finding flashes of personality that fit naturally into the movie. However, there's a certain uncomplicated element to the likes of Rama (Ranbir Kapoor) and Sita (Sai Pallavi) that can leave them feeling one-note." Critical of the lack of depth in the characters, he juxtaposed, "[...] what gives similar epics, like Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, an edge is that character depth that really draws the audience in."

Christian Zilko of IndieWire graded the film as B on a grade scale of A+ to F, writing in the epigraph of the review, "Nitesh Tiwari's Bollywood blockbuster will never bore you, even if you occasionally find yourself yearning for some quiet character development."

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film 3 stars out of 5, writing for portrayals of Kapoor and Yash, "Kapoor, mindful not to let acquired starry vestiges get in the way, does not possess Rama's “lotus eyes” but exudes the controlled fire the role requires. His efforts are never less than earnest. Yash, in his first Hindi movie and in guise that he has never donned before, goes all out to embody the destructive and invincible force that Ravana embodies." He found the acting, "[...] wildly inconsistent," observing, "Some cast members, most notably Sai Pallavi as Sita and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, are acutely aware of the challenge of humanising mythic figures and stay firmly within the ambit of the grand narrative." He concluded in his review, "Ramayana is a visual treat all the way. Every frame jumps out of the screen and casts a spell. Sadly, the familiar characters that populate the film feel way too flat and inert."

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express also gave the film 3 stars out of 5, summing up in her review, "Ranbir Kapoor-Yash-Sai Pallavi-starrer is unapologetically bigger than any other Ramayana iteration we have seen before. The background music is Hans Zimmer- AR Rahman jodi on full throttle, and there’re enough sorcery and thrills and adventure to keep audience happy." She acknowledged, "Condensing a mammoth epic whose cultural, religious influences have continued to shape our society and polity through the ages, was never going to be an easy task, but credit where it’s due, the makers have managed to tell their story without being overwhelmed by it – yes, there’s scale and size of the kind Indian cinema hasn’t seen before, but there’s also the very desi mix of melodrama and emotion, which works for a film like this, which has been created for universal viewing."

Chirag Sehgal of News18 gave the film 3 stars out of 5 as well and concluded in his review, "Ramayana is a mixed bag. It scores high on visuals, VFX and scale, with Yash and Ravi Dubey emerging as its biggest highlights. However, a stretched first half, weak character portrayals and rushed handling of important mythological sequences prevent it from becoming the epic cinematic experience it aspires to be."

Siddhant Adlakha of IGN gave the film a review score of 4 out of 10 and concluded, "A lavish Hindu epic gets the Bollywood blockbuster treatment in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, a clunky, A.I. lip-synced English version that cuts out most of the musical sequences, en route to a dull cliffhanger set before the story really starts. While it comes close to engendering sympathy for the villainous demon Ravana, the film sticks too closely to traditional notions of light and darkness to stray from the poem’s prescribed path. Its depiction of the mythical Rama is simply too boring to root for."

Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture rated the film 5/10 and concluded, "Overall, audiences can still be swept up by "Ramayana," even if it feels so stuffed at times that it might’ve needed a "Game of Thrones"-level television adaptation to flesh out its narrative fully."

Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com rated it 2.5 stars out of 5 and said that "A shuddh desi epic told through the eyes of a Hollywood blockbuster -- the first instalment of Nitesh Tiwari's 195 minutes long yarn has more action than emotion on its mind." Sreeju Sudhakaran, also of Rediff.com rated it 2.5 stars out of 5 as well and said that "Nitesh Tiwari's epic finds its most engaging character in its villain, leaving Ranbir Kapoor's Ram struggling to command the story that bears his name."

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu critiqued, "But you can sense the push and pull between him and the producer, trying to fit the spiritual, philosophical, and deeply internal text into a Hollywood-type blockbuster template. It is strange that a story that makes you tear up every year at the modest Ramlila in the neighborhood doesn’t hold you enough in front of the IMAX screen. It holds your gaze but doesn’t go any further."

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in noted, "With so much to pack in, Ramayana sometimes rushes by the striking, VFX-enhanced visuals by cinematographers Pankaj Kumar and Mahesh Limaye. The film lumbers on for 195 minutes, coming alive whenever it reaches for imaginative ways to portray iconic moments, such as Raavan’s 10 heads or his battle with the vulture Jatayu (voiced by Anupam Kher)."

Aishani Biswas of Outlook also gave the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and concluded in her review, "Ramayana Part 1 has the technical resources and visual imagination to create a formidable cinematic world. Yash's Ravana is a major strength, and the film's production scale is impressive. But the spiritual bond between Ram and Sita, the emotional weight of family relationships and the philosophical conflicts at the heart of the epic remain underexplored. A story this deeply embedded in our cultural imagination deserves more than grandeur. It needs emotional conviction, too. For all its visual ambition, Ramayana Part 1 has yet to find that balance."

Tatsam Mukherjee of The Wire wrote in epigraph of his review, "Despite its staggering budget and grand ambitions, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 settles for a cautious, visually underwhelming spectacle that struggles to bring fresh life to a familiar epic."