Ramayana movie review: five stars from some, doubts on length from others
By Meera IyerGovernance & Policy Editor, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: samuuue810 / Pixabay
Early Ramayana: Part 1 reviews range from five stars to doubts on pacing, ahead of its November 5, 2026 release; VFX supervisors defend the film.
What Happened
The first Ramayana movie reviews are in, and they are split. Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, drew reactions after its world premiere screening in Los Angeles and press screenings in India in the last week of October 2026, ahead of its worldwide release on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh and the film portal Bollywood Hungama gave it five stars, calling it a spectacular experience, while other early reactions praised the scale, visual effects and Yash's Ravana but raised concerns about the music, pacing and emotional depth. Some international reviews also criticised its length and narrative while praising its visuals. As the debate over the film's visual effects grew online, two senior Indian VFX supervisors, Yashoda Parthasarthy and Vijesh Rajan, publicly urged audiences to back the film despite its flaws.
Key Facts
- Ramayana: Part 1 releases worldwide on Thursday, November 5, 2026, around Diwali.
- Taran Adarsh and Bollywood Hungama rated it 5 out of 5, praising Nitesh Tiwari's direction and the screenplay.
- Early audience reactions after screenings in Los Angeles were mixed, with praise for the visuals and Yash, and concerns about music, pacing and emotional depth.
- Some international reviews faulted the film's length and storytelling but praised its visual scale.
- VFX supervisors Yashoda Parthasarthy and Vijesh Rajan, whose credits include Sacred Games and Farzi, said in an interview that the film deserves support and that matching Hollywood-level effects on a smaller budget is hard.
- The film is planned in two parts; the second part is due in a later year.
Why It Matters
Ramayana is one of the most anticipated Indian films in years, and it carries an unusual weight because its story is sacred to millions of people. That makes its reception more than a box office question. Reviewers are being asked to judge both a piece of entertainment and the treatment of an epic that families know by heart. A five-star verdict from a widely followed trade voice will help ticket sales in the opening weekend, while the mixed reactions on pacing and music suggest that word of mouth after release will decide how long the film runs.
The visual effects debate matters for India's film industry as a whole. As the two supervisors pointed out, Indian films work with far smaller effects budgets than Hollywood blockbusters. When a homegrown epic is compared directly with big-budget Western fantasy films, any weakness is quickly noticed and shared online. Parthasarthy and Rajan's argument is that constructive criticism helps, but that trolling discourages filmmakers from attempting ambitious projects at all. They asked viewers to remember the large crew behind the effects.
The mixed early response also follows a period of strong pre-release interest. Advance bookings opened in late October and the film has been certified U with no cuts, making it suitable for family audiences during the festival week.
| Reviewer or group | Early verdict |
|---|---|
| Taran Adarsh | 5 out of 5, called it spectacular |
| Bollywood Hungama | 5 out of 5 |
| Early audience reactions (LA screening) | Mixed: praise for visuals and Yash, doubts on music and pacing |
| Some international reviews | Praised scale, faulted length and narrative |
Impact
Short-term: The split reviews set up a closely watched opening on November 5. Strong praise for the spectacle may draw festival crowds, but criticism of the length and pacing could weigh on repeat viewing and on audiences outside the big cities.
Long-term: How Ramayana performs will shape how much Indian studios are willing to spend on large visual-effects films, and how ready global audiences are for Indian mythological epics. It will also affect plans for the second part.
Who is affected: The film's producers, cast and crew; distributors and cinema chains during the Diwali week; India's VFX industry, whose work is under the spotlight; and families planning to watch a film based on the epic during the festival.
Key Takeaway
Early Ramayana movie reviews range from five-star praise to concerns about length and pacing, with near-universal praise for its scale, and the real test begins when it opens on November 5.
Questions and Answers
What are the first Ramayana movie reviews saying?
Reactions are mixed. Taran Adarsh and Bollywood Hungama gave it five stars, while early audience reactions and some international reviews praised its visuals and Yash's Ravana but questioned its length, music and pacing.
When does Ramayana: Part 1 release?
It releases worldwide on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Who defended the film's visual effects?
VFX supervisors Yashoda Parthasarthy and Vijesh Rajan, known for Sacred Games and Farzi, said the film deserves support and that matching Hollywood-level effects on a much smaller budget is difficult.
Who stars in Ramayana?
Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravana, under director Nitesh Tiwari.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Meera Iyer, Governance & Policy EditorCovers Governance & Policy and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Meera Iyer
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Meera Iyer is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
