Ranbir Kapoor has responded to criticism surrounding Ramayana’s VFX.
Namit Malhotra says viewers should experience the film on larger screens.
Nitesh Tiwari reveals some Ramayana VFX sequences took three years.
The Ramayana trailer has become a talking point online after viewers criticised its visual effects. Ranbir Kapoor has now responded to what he described as a growing group of online CGI critics, arguing that many people underestimate the time and effort involved in creating computer-generated imagery for a film of this scale.
Speaking to Collider, Ranbir Kapoor said he found it amusing that some viewers appeared to believe visual effects could simply be created using AI. He pointed to director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra’s years of involvement with the project, including discussions over details such as the colour of the sky.
Ranbir Kapoor defends Ramayana's VFX
Kapoor said authentic computer-generated imagery was increasingly difficult to impress audiences with, particularly as viewers have become more familiar with VFX and AI-generated content.
Malhotra also defended the film’s technical work, arguing in his interview that audiences were judging footage on phones and poor internet connections rather than experiencing it in the format for which it was designed. He said the team was spending millions of dollars on the project and wanted viewers to give the visuals a fair assessment.
The producer added that Ramayana was among the most complex projects undertaken by DNEG. The British VFX company has won eight Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects, including for Inception, Interstellar and the first two Dune films.
Nitesh Tiwari on unfinished VFX work
Director Nitesh Tiwari told Collider that the VFX team was still giving the film its finishing touches. Some sequences, he said, had taken between two-and-a-half and three years to create. He also acknowledged that criticism can focus heavily on perceived mistakes.
Namit Malhotra stressed that the VFX was not yet complete, explaining that major films often begin marketing months before post-production is finished.
The four-minute-nine-second trailer, released on July 30, features Ranbir as Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. The film also stars Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and features music by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer.
Ramayana will arrive in two parts, with Part One scheduled for Diwali 2026 and Part Two following in 2027.
