India’s reported $500m Ramayana film opens to mixed reviews

India’s most expensive film, a two-part retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana, has opened in cinemas worldwide to sharply mixed reviews. The production is reported to have cost $500m, raising expectations for a film that brings a revered religious story to a global audience on an unprecedented scale.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, *Ramayana: Rise of a Legend* stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The first film follows the familiar story of Ram’s exile and Sita’s abduction; the war between Ram and Ravana is due to feature in the second instalment, scheduled for release next year.

Reviews have differed on whether the spectacle serves the story. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw praised the film as a spectacular adventure and awarded it four stars. Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times also gave it four stars, commending its performances and visual effects while criticising a sluggish first half and underwhelming music.

Other critics were less convinced. NDTV’s Saibal Chatterjee said the visual scale often overshadowed the story, while IGN’s Siddhant Adlakha rated the film four out of 10 and criticised its action and computer-generated imagery. The Indian Express’s Shubhra Gupta, who gave it three stars, said she had initially doubted the film’s grand scale but was gradually won over.

The release comes days before Diwali, the Hindu festival associated with Ram’s return to Ayodhya after exile. The epic has been retold across generations in literature, theatre, television and cinema, and the new film arrives with both modern visual-effects resources and the expectations attached to a story central to Hindu religious and cultural life.

The film also draws on nostalgia for Ramanand Sagar’s 1987 television series, which became a major cultural phenomenon in India. Arun Govil, who played Ram in that series, appears in the new film as Dasharatha, Ram’s father.

The filmmakers have also faced criticism over the use of artificial intelligence to adjust actors’ lip movements in the English-language version. Tiwari said the technique was intended to make the film more accessible to international audiences; Adlakha likened the result to exaggerated mouth movements imposed on still images.

Kapoor has said he felt fear about taking on a role associated with a figure worshipped by millions, and that the part left him less creative freedom than other roles. Pallavi has described playing Sita as a spiritual as well as artistic experience.

The film’s audience response is still taking shape. Its reception will determine whether its scale and retelling can satisfy viewers with very different expectations of one of India’s most familiar stories.