Nitesh Tiwari's latest offering, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, has been receiving mixed reviews. Film director and producer Ram Gopal Varma has called the mythological epic not just a devotional film but a "devotional force". A while back, on November 9, 2026, RGV took to his X handle (formerly Twitter) to review Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash's film. He slammed the negative critics and compared them to "street dogs".
In his tweet, Ram Gopal Verma praised the storytelling and power-packed performances and labelled the movie's naysayers "barking street dogs". He urged everyone to disregard the negative criticisms surrounding the movie.
A part of his tweet read, "All in all I want to say this to each and everyone of all the greats who collaborated to make this great film is to treat any and all negative critics of this film as barking street dogs against the elephantine effort you all put in to create this magnifique piece of WONDER (sic)."
Ram Gopal Varma also highlighted Ramayana: Part 1's visual and narrative approach, which was heavily inspired by sage Valmiki's epic lore, Ramayana, and Goswami Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas.
The Satya director, speaking about Ranbir's role as Lord Ram, also highlighted the emotional arc narrative after Sita's abduction. said, "The #Ramayana is not a devotional film. It is a devotional force. The hero is not a blue god floating above the story. Ranbir: In the sequence after Sita’s abduction, when he stands in the empty ashram and simply looks at the place where she was, the camera holds long enough to show that grief has already been converted into an arithmetic."
The Rangeela director also praised Yash's portrayal of Ravan, saying the actor "does not play opposition". His character has a mind that has already come to terms with "what it decided to destroy".
Varma, focusing on the varied character arcs and themes of the movie, also added, "The rise is not of a kingdom. It is of a mind that challenges weakness. Every frame carries the weight of someone who has burned the old rules and is now moving only by the logic of power. The violence is not spectacle. It is the clarity of consequences (sic)."
The filmmaker also highlighted a tense confrontation scene on open ground, with no armies, ahead of the final night of the war. According to the director, Yash's character is seen not to raise his voice. In his words, "In the long confrontation before the final night, when he speaks to Ram across the open ground with no army between them, he does not raise his voice. He simply states the price. The face never flinches. The body never shifts."
In his tweet, Ram Gopal Varma also praised veteran actor Anupam Kher's role as Jatayu. He emphasised that Jatayu's character was not merely loyal but kept moving forward with "wings half broken, bloodied", as his "mind has not yet accepted what the body is telling it."
Reflecting on Jatayu's final moments, RGV observed that the camera focused on his case; Jatayu did not cry. Varma stated, "There is only the last argument continuing behind the eyes after his wings have stopped. That is not sacrifice. That is a man who understood the only rule left is to continue until you cannot."
About Ramayana: Rise of a Legend
In the latest Diwali offering Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of Lord Rama. Sai Pallavi plays Mata Sita, and Raveena Dubey plays Lakshman. Rakul Preet Singh essays Supranakha, while Yash plays Ravan. Lara Dutta essays Queen Kaikeyi, while Arun Govil plays King Dashrath. The makers recently released the film's post-credits scene with a Hanuman Chalisa video. Sunny Deol was introduced as Lord Hanuman.
