Ramayana First Reactions: 'Breathtaking Visuals', 'Emotionally Flat' And 'Music Backfires'

Hollywood got an early glimpse of Nitesh Tiwari’s highly anticipated Ramayana following an exclusive premiere at the Academy Museum’s David Geffen Theatre in Los Angeles. Leads Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Sai Pallavi joined director Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra on the red carpet, accompanied by an array of Western stars and digital creators.

Though strict embargos currently block full critical reviews, attendees quickly stormed social media with quick initial capsule takes, snippets, and photos from the star-studded screening.

Ramayana Receives Mixed Reviews

The premiere played the English-dubbed 3D version, which is around 30 minutes shorter than the original Hindi cut.

Critiques of the film’s visual work were divided. Attendees praised select sequences as breathtaking while slamming others for looking glaringly synthetic, with key asura characters coming off as overly animated. The writing also drew flak for its sluggish pacing and execution, with reviewers noting that critical character entrances and dramatic beats fell flat. Further criticism singled out the portrayal of Lanka, pointing out that the movie's grand production values failed to deliver an echoing emotional chord. The music by AR Rahman and Hanz Zimmer also met with criticism.

Another reviewer had a mixed opinion, "#Ramayana Initial Impressions: A hugely ambitious film mounted on a grand scale, and the effort behind it is clearly visible. The team largely stays true to the Ramayana, but the film leans more on spectacle and action than drama and emotion, leaving parts of the narration feeling flat and even serial like at times. The second half also drags in places because of where Part 1 chooses to end, with limited material stretched out through lengthy action blocks that don’t create much impact."

Another viewer raved about Yash, "If the second half maintains this level, #Ramayana could become a historic cinematic experience. #Yash is absolutely phenomenal! His aggressive screen presence, intense expressions and powerful acting bring a different level of energy to the screen. He commands attention every time he appears."

Ranbir Kapoor’s restrained portrayal of Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi’s performance as Sita have also met with praise.

Taking to Instagram, trade analyst Taran Adarsh wrote, "THE WORLD WILL WAKE UP TO 'RAMAYANA' TONIGHT... #NamitMalhotra's #Ramayana takes centre stage in #LosAngeles tonight, as #Hollywood's biggest influencers, media, fans, and cinephiles gather to experience the #English version of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. One man's audacious dream is taking India's greatest epic to the world... Indeed, a proud moment for Indian cinema."

Ramayana Cast, Release Details

Steered by director Nitesh Tiwari, the epic production is a joint venture between Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The film anchors its narrative on a power-packed trio. Ranbir Kapoor steps into the role of Prince Rama, Sai Pallavi portraying Sita, and Kannada icon Yash taking on the antagonist Ravana for his Hindi cinema debut.

Rounding out the ambitious cinematic effort is the supporting cast that includes Sunny Deol, Ravie Dubey, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan, and Lara Dutta. With a massive runtime of 195 minutes (3 hours and 15 minutes), Ramayana: Part One stands as one of the most extensive Indian theatrical releases of the year. The multi-lingual blockbuster is scheduled for a global release on November 5, 2026, across Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam markets.