Ranbir Kapoor stars in Ramayana, India's most expensive film
The two-part epic directed by Nitesh Tiwari has opened in cinemas worldwide to mixed reviews from critics.
The film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has opened in cinemas worldwide, according to BBC News. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the production is reported to have cost $500m and is the first of two planned films.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Ram, the prince of Ayodhya, while Sai Pallavi portrays Sita. The character of Ravana is played by Yash. The film features music by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, and was produced by Namit Malhotra, head of the visual-effects company DNEG.
Critical reception has been divided. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film three out of five stars, noting that the visual spectacle often overshadowed the story. Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times awarded it four stars, stating that the investment shows on screen despite a sluggish first half.
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film three stars, calling it the "perfect epic". In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw gave it four stars, describing it as a "thoroughly engaging, rousing and spectacular Indian epic melodrama".
However, Siddhant Adlakha of IGN scored the film four out of 10, describing the action as "clunky". Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture gave it five out of 10, praising the score and Yash's performance but suggesting the narrative might have suited a series.
The film's use of AI to adjust lip movements for the English-language version drew criticism from Adlakha. The second part of the film is set to release next year.