The first international verdicts on Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part Ramayana are here after the film’s Los Angeles premiere, and the early word is a classic good-news-bad-news story: the scale is being celebrated, but the storytelling is being questioned.
What the first international reviews say
The English-language cut that screened in Los Angeles runs roughly two and a half hours — nearly 30 minutes shorter than the Indian version. Even that trim did not satisfy several critics, who found the narrative overstuffed.
NYC Movie Guru praised the film as “a visually dazzling action adventure with great set and costume design” but also called it “bloated, clunky, exhausting, emotionally hollow and poorly acted.” Screen Rant’s Brandon Zachary gave it 7/10, calling it an impressive visual and technical achievement. IndieWire graded it a B and described it as an epic, while Next Best Picture’s Giovanni Lago rated it 5/10 and suggested the story might have worked better as a Game of Thrones-style television adaptation.
The harshest notice came from IGN’s Siddharth Adlakha, who rated the film 4/10 and wrote that a “majestic epic falls victim to clunky action, eye-sore CGI, and awkward AI lip-syncing” in what is only Part 1.
Why these early notices matter
Ramayana is among the most ambitious Indian films of the year. The first part arrives worldwide on November 5, with a second part scheduled for Diwali 2027. Indian critics have not yet seen the film, so international reactions are setting the initial public conversation.
Here is what we know about the release:
- Release date: Part 1 opens worldwide on November 5; Part 2 is slated for Diwali 2027.
- Languages: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
- Distribution: Sony Pictures handles global distribution outside India; Dharma Productions distributes the Hindi version.
- Format: A worldwide IMAX release is planned.
- Cast: Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman.
What Indian fans should watch for
The reviews so far are based on the shorter English cut, so the Hindi and other Indian versions may feel different. US paid previews are set for November 4, but there is still no word on Indian previews. With advance bookings likely to open soon, Indian viewers will soon decide whether the spectacle outweighs the reported pacing problems.
Source: Hindustan Times