Ranbir Kapoor stars in expensive Ramayana film that divides critics
The $500m production directed by Nitesh Tiwari has opened in cinemas worldwide to mixed reviews.
The film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, directed by Nitesh Tiwari, has opened in cinemas globally, according to BBC News. Reported to cost $500m, the production is the first of two planned films retelling the Hindu epic.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram, the prince of Ayodhya, while Sai Pallavi plays his wife, Sita. The story follows Ram's 14-year exile and the kidnapping of Sita by the king of Lanka, Ravana, played by Yash.
The production features music by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, and visual effects from DNEG. The film opened days before Diwali, the Hindu festival celebrating Ram's return to Ayodhya.
Critics have offered varied reviews. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film three stars, calling it the "perfect epic". Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times awarded it four stars, though he found the first half sluggish.
Other critics were less positive. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave it three stars, stating the visual spectacle often overshadowed the story. Siddhant Adlakha of IGN scored the film four out of 10, describing the action as "clunky".
The use of AI to adjust lip movements for the English-language version also faced criticism. Director Nitesh Tiwari said the technique was intended to make the film more accessible to international audiences.