Ramayana : Now we are talking!

Is Ramayana worth watching in theatres?

Yes. Definitely yes. A big yes! Ramayana is epic, spectacular and grand. Watching an Indian film of this scale on an IMAX screen is a huge achievement for us because it’s not every day that we get to experience an Indian film that can make us emotional, take us to the edge of our seats and make us wonder, “Am I really watching an Indian movie?” This is an extremely ambitious project, and that’s evident from the people behind it. With an eight-time Oscar-winning producer and a director who has delivered films like Dangal, India’s highest-grossing film, the expectations were naturally high. And the film manages to deliver on that ambition. The casting, the scale and the vision behind this project make it a no-brainer theatrical watch. I genuinely believe everyone should watch this film to understand what Indian cinema is capable of today. If Dhurandhar gave us a spectacular action thriller, Ramayana shows us how Indian history can be presented on an epic scale.

Acting

To be honest, two actors particularly stood out to me: Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. That’s not to say the other actors weren’t good. Everyone has put in a decent performance, but whenever these two appear on screen, you can see the amount of work that has gone into their characters.

Yash as Ravana is particularly impressive because the world-building around this character is something we haven’t experienced before. Yes, we have seen high-detail mythological shows and serials in the past, but this film takes things several levels higher. It will take considerable effort for another Indian epic to match this scale and presentation. What I particularly liked about Yash is how different this performance feels from his previous work. We have seen him in intense roles before, including Toxic, but Ravana is a completely different challenge. The mischievous, menacing and intimidating personality of Ravana is something Yash justifies really well. Perhaps his naturally fearless and confident personality also adds to the character, but he takes those qualities and multiplies them on screen.

Ravi Dubey as Lakshman was another pleasant surprise for me. Having watched him in several daily soaps during my college days, seeing him in such a significant role made me genuinely happy. His Lakshman is proactive, furious when required and always ready to stand up for his family. He is composed, has strong morals and ethics, but also believes in acting immediately when something is wrong. That’s what makes Lakshman so relatable. His understanding of right and wrong, his willingness to stand up for justice and his immediate reactions feel very human and even Kalyug-oriented, something I have spoken about in my Instagram videos as well. The character building is excellent, and that’s what makes this version of Lakshman so memorable.

Ranbir Kapoor is good too, although I found it slightly difficult to accept him as Ram during the first half. Some of his dialogues feel a little over the top and don’t quite match his body language, which takes away from the impact of those moments. Perhaps it’s because we last saw him in his extremely brutal Animal avatar, making it harder to immediately accept him in such a pure and composed role. However, as the movie progresses, Ranbir Kapoor starts growing on you. By the second half, his character development finally settles in, and you begin connecting with his portrayal. Eventually, you start appreciating him and wanting to see more of his character.

Sai Pallavi is also great. She maintains a calm and composed personality but has moments where she displays a lot of intensity and fury. I particularly liked those moments, and she justifies her character really well. There are also plenty of familiar faces throughout the film, and you will probably recognise 90% of them. I’m not entirely sure what the idea was behind casting so many familiar actors, as I was expecting to see some fresh faces and new talent. But honestly, I don’t have a major complaint about it either.

Production

Well, it’s a ₹4,000 crore movie, so spectacular production values are almost a given. The trailer showed us what we could expect, and the film manages to stand its ground. It’s visually appealing, and you can genuinely see the hard work put in by thousands of VFX artists. The frames are elegant, the war sequences are epic, and the scale is something you can actually feel while watching the film. You can experience the momentum of the battles and almost feel the presence of the Devas and Asuras. The overall presentation is exactly what you would expect from a project of this ambition. There are several moments where you simply want to sit back and appreciate what’s happening on the big screen.

What I liked about Ramayana

If I had to describe what I liked most about Ramayana in one word, it would be character building.

Most of the Ramayana content we have watched over the years gets straight into the story. But here, the first half takes its time to establish Ravana’s journey. We see him as an innocent child who is pushed by his mother to stand up for his clan. Gradually, he becomes a saviour, then a powerful ruler who captures one realm after another with his immense strength and the boon he receives from Brahmaji after years of Tapasya. What makes this interesting is how the film builds his personality layer by layer. You understand his motivations, his ambitions and the experiences that shape him. His transformation from an innocent child into a powerful and brutal king is particularly interesting to watch.

Things take another turn when his brother-in-law challenges him and brings up his painful past. You can see how Ravana’s personality begins changing, and the film gradually establishes his transformation into pure evil. When Lakshmana attacks Surpanakha, we see his ten personalities, his ten heads, taking over him. I really liked how the film doesn’t simply introduce Ravana as an already powerful and evil character. It takes the time to show us how he becomes one. I found a similar approach with Ram as well. You see him as an innocent child who is constantly searching for his bigger purpose. He keeps questioning why he was born, what his calling is, why he is a king and even why he is supposed to marry Sita. These questions make him feel very human, and that’s something I really appreciated.

His character development becomes particularly emotional during the entire Vanvasa sequence. The Kaikeyi conflict, his father’s vulnerability and the emotional circumstances surrounding his departure from Ayodhya are handled really well. These moments make the characters feel human, and you will definitely find yourself getting emotional. Once Ram leaves for Vanvas and encounters his first Rakshasa opponents, we begin seeing another side of him. You can see him gradually moving beyond his human nature and displaying his ultimate power. I won’t spoil that particular sequence, but the way he demonstrates his power with a single arrow is spectacular. It’s one of those moments that you really want to experience on the big screen. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed how much attention the film gives to building its characters rather than simply rushing towards the powerful moments. That’s one of its biggest strengths.

Also, big ups to the team who worked on Jatayu sequence. It took them nearly 6.5 years to create that and the hard work shows. The trailer only gave you a glimpse of that scene but when it arrives, you will be stunned for sure.

What I did not like about Ramayana

The biggest turn-off for me was the dialogue writing. I completely understand that fitting every emotion, interaction and important dialogue into a three-and-a-half-hour film is extremely difficult, especially when there are so many characters involved. However, I felt the dialogues were too few. I’m glad the makers didn’t rush through certain emotionally important sequences, especially the moments before Vanvas. Those scenes needed breathing room, and I’m happy they retained that. But I wish there were more dialogues to emphasise the emotions and importance of certain scenes. The reason Ravana and Lakshman stay with you is partly because of their dialogues. The intensity with which they speak, the way they express themselves and the impact of their words make their characters memorable.

I felt that if more attention had been given to the dialogues of characters like Ram, Sita, Jatayu and a few others, the emotional impact could have been much stronger. A lot of people have also been talking about the emotional connect, and I can understand where that criticism comes from. We all remember the older Ramayana television series for their dialogues and musical presentation. Those elements played a huge role in making the experience memorable. I wish this film had achieved a similar emotional impact through its dialogues. Perhaps this is something the makers can improve in the next part. I understand how difficult it is to balance everything, but I genuinely wanted a little more from the writing.

The second thing that didn’t completely work for me was the music. For some reason, I don’t feel particularly excited to revisit or recite many of the songs. A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer have done a good job, and the music is pleasant to listen to, but I don’t think all of it is memorable enough to stay with people for years. The reason I say this is because we also remember Ramayana as a musical experience. The music and songs in the older adaptations often intensified the emotions of a scene. That’s exactly what I was expecting here as well. I wanted the music to elevate some of the spectacular moments on screen, but unfortunately, while some tracks work, others don’t quite hit the mark. It’s not a major complaint, but I definitely expected more from the music.

Are there any post-credit scenes in Ramayana?

Yes! There is a very important post-credit scene. It’s only a few seconds long, but I think it will genuinely excite you and keep you hooked for the next part. The unfortunate part is that the next instalment is coming only in 2028, which is a really long wait. I honestly don’t understand why they had to tease us with something so exciting and then make us wait another two years!

I hope people don’t forget the experience by then. Several movies will come and go in the meantime, and while we might remember certain moments, some of the smaller details could easily slip out of our minds. I really hope the makers do something about this, perhaps a re-release or a small recap before the next instalment. Because a film of this scale deserves to be remembered, and I would love to experience that same excitement again when the next part arrives.

Should you watch Ramayana in IMAX 2D or 3D?

My recommendation would be to watch Ramayana in IMAX, preferably in 2D. I would personally avoid 3D because I don’t think it’s an experience you will regret missing. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any IMAX 2D shows in Mumbai, so I had to watch the film in 3D. While I genuinely enjoyed the movie, the 3D experience wasn’t particularly great for me. You know how the picture can look duller when you wear those black 3D glasses, and how the overall brightness and picture quality take a hit? That’s something I noticed here as well. So, if you have the option, I would suggest going for IMAX 2D. In fact, I’m planning to watch the movie again in PVR 2D because I want to experience those visuals without the limitations of 3D glasses.