Ramayana: Rise of a Legend review: a 195-minute winner

Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend arrives in theatres not as the full war, but as a confident first chapter. The 195-minute film covers a lot of epic ground: the defeat and banishment of the Asuras, Ravana’s ascent, Rama’s childhood and wedding, the 14-year exile, and Sita’s abduction. The actual Ram-versus-Ravana clash is deliberately held for Part 2.

What the film gets right

After all the pre-release skepticism around Ranbir Kapoor playing Lord Rama, his performance is the most pleasant surprise. He keeps Rama restrained, serene and dignified, which makes the character feel noble rather than stiff. Yash, meanwhile, brings the fire as Ravana. Every scene gains voltage the moment he arrives, and his journey from Dashanana to Ravana gives the film an antagonist worth caring about.

Sai Pallavi plays Sita with grace and inner steel, and Ravie Dubey’s Lakshmana provides warmth and welcome comic timing. The supporting cast is just as strong: Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi carries the emotional weight of the exile, Arun Govil returns to the Ramayana universe with dignity as Dasharatha, Rakul Preet Singh makes Shurpanakha vicious in limited screen time, and Anupam Kher’s voice as Jatayu lands a moving final moment.

• Ranbir Kapoor’s Ram: calm, dignified and a long way from Animal.
• Yash’s Ravana: magnetic, menacing and the film’s most commanding presence.
• Sai Pallavi’s Sita: graceful, resilient and never passive.
• DNEG’s VFX: Ayodhya, Mithila and Lanka feel huge and lived-in.
• Music by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer: the score adds emotional depth.

The craft

DNEG’s visual effects do the heavy lifting beautifully, whether in battle sequences or in the quieter grandeur of the kingdoms. The cinematography and set design transport you between Ayodhya, Mithila and the forests, and the editing keeps a three-hour-plus film moving. If there is a small gap, it is an emotional farewell between Lakshmana and Urmila before the vanvas, but it is a minor miss in an otherwise focused adaptation.

Why a faithful adaptation matters

For a large section of the audience, the Ramayana is both a story and a cultural touchstone. The review notes that Tiwari’s telling stays honest to Valmiki’s text while avoiding needless provocation. That balance—respectful but not static—is why the film works as a family watch. The result is spectacle with a conscience, not just noise.

The verdict

This is a big-screen Diwali film. The review’s advice is simple: go for IMAX 3D if you can, because the scale deserves it. Take the family, ignore the costume chatter, and treat Part 1 as the build-up that makes the eventual war feel earned.

Source: Bollywood Bubble