By Basant El-Faramawy
India's most expensive film to date, a lavish two-part retelling of the Hindu epic Ramayana made for a reported $500 million, has opened in cinemas worldwide to enormous expectations and sharply divided critical reaction. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" brings together leading Indian stars, Hollywood visual-effects expertise, and two Oscar-winning composers in an attempt to take one of Hinduism's foundational stories to a global audience.
Star-Studded Production
Ranbir Kapoor stars as Lord Ram, the virtuous prince of Ayodhya, alongside Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash, one of southern India's biggest stars, as the ten-headed demon king Ravana. The film's producer, Namit Malhotra, heads visual-effects company DNEG, known for work on "Dune" and "Interstellar." The score is a collaboration between AR Rahman, the Oscar-winning composer of "Slumdog Millionaire," and Hans Zimmer, whose credits include "Gladiator" and "The Dark Knight." The release was timed days ahead of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights celebrating Ram's return from exile.
Critical Reception Divided
Reviews have been mixed. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave three out of five stars, writing that the visual spectacle often overshadowed the story and the acting remained "wildly inconsistent." Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times was more enthusiastic, awarding four stars and praising the performances and effects, though he found the first half sluggish. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express also gave three stars, calling it the "perfect epic" with enough sorcery and adventure to sustain the spectacle. Internationally, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded four stars, describing a "thoroughly engaging, rousing and spectacular Indian epic melodrama" with echoes of Shakespeare and Homer. Conversely, Siddhant Adlakha of IGN scored it four out of ten, criticizing "clunky" action and computer-generated imagery as an "eye-sore." Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture gave five out of ten, praising Yash's Ravana and the score but suggesting the vast narrative might have suited a series format better.
Comparisons to Past Adaptations
The film inevitably invites comparisons with earlier adaptations, most notably Ramanand Sagar's 1987 television series "Ramayan," which captivated the nation with an estimated 80-100 million viewers per episode. Streets emptied and trains stopped as people gathered to watch. In a nostalgic casting choice, Arun Govil, who played Ram in that series, returns as Dasharatha, Ram's father. The 1992 Indo-Japanese animated film "Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama" also offered a celebrated hand-drawn version. Tiwari's production arrives with technological resources its predecessors could barely imagine, but also with the weight of generations' expectations.
Political and Cultural Context
The release comes at a politically charged moment in India, where Ram has become a potent symbol of Hindu identity. The 2023 big-budget film "Adipurush," another Ramayana retelling, sparked backlash from Hindu groups accusing it of disrespecting religious figures, while critics questioned its depiction of Ravana as drawing on Mughal imagery. For the current cast, the burden is deeply felt. Kapoor told the BBC he was "filled with fear" about doing justice to a figure worshipped by millions, calling the role "an opportunity of a lifetime" but one that left little room for creative freedom. Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, described the experience as both spiritual and artistic, approaching the part as an opportunity for personal growth.
Actors Feel Weight of Expectations
The film's popular reception will become clearer as audiences fill cinemas. Whatever the verdict, the production marks a major cultural moment for India, bringing a story loved for generations to the big screen on an unprecedented scale. The use of AI to adjust actors' lip movements for the English-language version has also drawn criticism, with some likening the result to exaggerated mouth movements superimposed on still images.
