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India's costliest film retells the Ramayana
A $500m two-part epic directed by Nitesh Tiwari brings Hindu mythology to the global screen, but critics are divided on whether spectacle serves the story.
In brief
A $500m two-part epic directed by Nitesh Tiwari brings Hindu mythology to the global screen, but critics are divided on whether spectacle serves the story. India's most expensive film, a $500m Ramayana adaptation starring Ranbir Kapoor, opened worldwide to mixed reviews praising its scale but questioning whether…
India's most expensive film opens worldwide
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, is India's costliest film with a reported budget of $500m.
The story of Ram and Sita
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram, the virtuous prince of Ayodhya, banished for fourteen years.His wife Sita, played by Sai Pallavi, is kidnapped by Ravana, the ten-headed king of Lanka, played by Yash.
Oscar winners behind the production
Producer Namit Malhotra heads visual-effects company DNEG, which worked on Hollywood blockbusters including Dune and Interstellar.
Critics divided on visual spectacle
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave three out of five stars, saying visual spectacle often overshadowed the story.Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times awarded four stars, praising performances and visual effects.
International reviews range widely
Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian called it a thoroughly engaging, rousing and spectacular Indian epic melodrama, giving four stars.
AI lip-sync draws criticism
The film used AI to adjust actors' lip movements for the English-language version.Director Tiwari said it was intended to make the film more accessible to international audiences.
Ramanand Sagar's 1987 series set the bar
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan aired in nineteen eighty-seven on state-run Doordarshan network.The seventy-eight-episode series drew an estimated eighty to one hundred million viewers.Streets emptied, shops lowered shutters and neighbours crowded around TV sets to watch.
Viewers treated the show as worship
When Ramanand Sagar's series aired, some viewers bathed, lit incense and garlanded their screens before the broadcast, preparing for the show much as they might for worship.
Arun Govil returns as Ram's father
Arun Govil, who played Ram in Ramanand Sagar's series, has recalled people weeping at the sight of him and touching his feet.
Adipurush sparked religious controversy
The two thousand twenty-three film Adipurush, another big-budget Ramayana retelling, sparked backlash.Hindu groups called for a ban, accusing it of disrespecting religious figures.
Kapoor felt fear taking on the role
Ranbir Kapoor told the BBC Asian Network he was filled with fear about playing Lord Ram.
“I was filled with fear. I knew that maybe I'm too old for this. I won't be able to do justice to it.”
Sai Pallavi approached role spiritually
Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, said the experience was as much spiritual as artistic. Raised in a religious household, she approached the part not just as a performance but as an opportunity for personal growth.
The essence
India's most expensive film, a $500m Ramayana adaptation starring Ranbir Kapoor, opened worldwide to mixed reviews praising its scale but questioning whether visual effects overshadow the ancient story.
