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EYE ON BOLLYWOOD NOVEMBER 13, 2026 | The Indian Eye 44

Ramayana dazzles global audiences with

visual spectacle and ambitious storytelling

Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi lead Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious retelling of the Indian epic, which

wins early praise for its spectacular visual effects, performances and international musical collaboration

OUR BUREAU standing. It has never been made like associated with the character, has his iconic portrayal of Lord Ram in
this in India. It has never been made made an impression. Ramanand Sagar’s television adapta-
Mumbai
like this,” the cinemagoer said, rec- One moviegoer said there was tion, appears as King Dashrath. His
ndia’s most celebrated epic has ommending that audiences watch the no other actor in Bollywood or the presence has added an emotional di-
arrived on the global cinematic film two or three times, including in South Indian film industry who could mension for audiences familiar with
Istage with an ambition to match IMAX. portray Lord Ram with the same ex- the earlier television series.
its extraordinary legacy. Nitesh Ti- Another described the film as pressions and innocence. “When he The musical score is another sig-
wari’s much-anticipated Ramayana: “wonderful” and “majestic”, prais- comes on screen, the eyes get peace nificant international collaboration.
Part 1, starring Ranbir Kapoor as ing the creative decisions and per- of mind. He has done his work very Indian composer A R Rahman has
Lord Ram, opened in cinemas world- formances across the cast. “Thank well,” the viewer said. joined hands with Hollywood com-
wide on Thursday, with early audienc- you so much, Namit Malhotra... you Filmmaker SS Rajamouli, poser Hans Zimmer for the first time.
es praising its visual grandeur, perfor- have outdone yourself... Ramayana is known for Baahubali and RRR, also The association also marks Zimmer’s
mances and technical achievements. shown as it should have been shown,” praised the film’s scale and visual debut in Indian cinema, bringing to-
For a story that has travelled the viewer said. presentation. In a post on X, he de- gether two celebrated composers for
across generations, cultures and geo- Backed by DNEG, the eight- scribed the visuals on the big screen a production that seeks to combine
graphical boundaries, the challenge time Academy Award-winning visu- as “spectacular to watch” and called Indian storytelling with an interna-
was to find a cinematic language ca- al effects and production studio, the Kapoor’s portrayal of Rama “serene tional cinematic sensibility.
pable of doing justice to its enormous film seeks to recreate the epic’s world yet magnificent”. Actor Lara Dutta, who portrays
emotional and spiritual canvas. The on an unprecedented cinematic can- He also praised Yash’s perfor- Mata Kaikeyi, described the oppor-
makers have attempted to bring the vas. The Jatayu battle sequence has mance as Ravana, describing his pres- tunity as an “extraordinary privi-
ancient epic alive through contem- particularly impressed early audienc- ence as menacing, while appreciating lege”, highlighting the responsibility
porary filmmaking technology, elab- es, emerging as one of the highlights Sai Pallavi’s graceful portrayal of Sita. of presenting a woman she called
orate visual effects and an expansive of its visual presentation. Rajamouli particularly enjoyed the one of history’s most misunderstood
theatrical presentation. One viewer praised the atten- pre-climax and climax sequences and characters.
The film’s visual spectacle has tion to detail, saying, “Everything has congratulated director Tiwari, pro- Directed by Tiwari and co-writ-
emerged as one of its biggest talking been worked on very finely. You can ducer Malhotra and the entire team. ten by Shridhar Raghavan, the film is
points. Large-scale action sequenc- actually notice the details in every Yash, making his Hindi cinema produced by Malhotra’s Prime Focus
es, detailed production design and corner. It is a film made with a lot of debut with the film, has emerged as Studios in association with DNEG
impressive visual effects have drawn hard work.” another major attraction. His por- and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
enthusiastic responses from early Beyond the spectacle, the per- trayal of Ravana combines menace Envisioned as a two-part cin-
moviegoers, with several describing formances of the principal cast have and intensity, with audiences appre- ematic epic, Ramayana represents
the experience as unprecedented in attracted considerable attention. ciating the scale of his appearance an ambitious attempt to take an In-
Indian cinema. One viewer called it Kapoor’s casting as Lord Ram had and action sequences. One viewer dian cultural narrative to audiences
the “best Indian movie ever made”, generated discussion well before the remarked that he was shown as “dan- worldwide through the language
praising both the production and Ka- release. Early audience reactions sug- gerous as KGF”. of large-scale cinema. The second
poor’s performance. gest that his portrayal, particularly Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman, instalment is scheduled for release
“Scale, VFX, everything is out- the serenity, innocence and dignity while Arun Govil, remembered for during Diwali 2027.

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