Ramayana Part One Opens to Praise and Divided Reactions

Ramayana Part One opened in cinemas on November 5, bringing director Nitesh Tiwari’s adaptation of the Indian epic to theatres. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. Early reviews and audience reactions have praised its visual scale and effects, while differing over its storytelling, pacing and emotional impact. The first part follows Rama’s life in Ayodhya, his 14-year exile with Sita and his brother Lakshman, and Ravana’s abduction of Sita. The story builds toward the conflict between Rama and Ravana, with the adaptation presenting the characters and events across an expansive cinematic setting. Visual effects, production design and large action sequences were among the elements most frequently praised in early reactions. The aerial battle between Jatayu and Ravana was singled out in online discussion, while other viewers highlighted scenes featuring Ravana. Several reactions also praised Yash’s screen presence and portrayal of the Lanka ruler. Ranbir Kapoor received positive responses from some viewers for his composed portrayal of Rama, though reactions to his performance were not uniform. The film’s scale did not settle opinion on...