Following an exclusive premiere in Los Angeles, Nitesh Tiwari's mythological feature Ramayana debuted before global critics ahead of its worldwide festival release. While early reactions lauded the technical ambitions behind bringing the ancient epic to the screen, several international reviewers raised critical concerns regarding the narrative pacing, excessive duration, and character depth.
A Two-Part Epic Journey Set Across Consecutive Festivals
Produced jointly by Namit Malhotra and actor Yash, the massive cinematic endeavour has been conceived as a two-installment narrative. The first installment is slated to debut globally during the current Diwali holiday frame, while the concluding second chapter is planned for theatrical rollout on Diwali next year. The production has secured formal clearance from the film certification board, confirming all legal clearances ahead of its simultaneous domestic and international runs.
Praise for Scale Tempered by Pacing Concerns
Reactions gathered after the Los Angeles screening presented a distinct split among cinema analysts. Review platform Screened and Scored awarded the cinematic presentation a high score of 9 out of 10, praising the grandeur of the execution. Several critics also lauded Ranbir Kapoor's leading performance, matching that with an individual 9 out of 10 rating. However, noticeable reservations emerged regarding narrative endurance. Critics expressed disappointment over an overextended runtime, observing that multiple sequences feel excessively stretched to the point of generating viewer fatigue. This observation came despite the international version having undergone trims to make it more concise than its domestic counterpart.
Critical Voices on Execution and Character Dynamics
Avi Offer of NYC Movie Guru raised questions regarding the overall dramatic execution and performances. According to Offer, the film attempts to pack an overwhelming array of events into a single viewing frame, diluting narrative focus, while the emotional delivery across key performances leaves the broader film structurally vulnerable.
Taking a structural view, Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture assigned a rating of 5 out of 10. Lago suggested that instead of condensing such an expansive saga into an exhaustive film runtime, the project would have functioned far more effectively as an expansive episodic television series in the vein of Game of Thrones, allowing complex themes and pivotal story arcs to develop naturally without rushing or bloat.
Anticipation Builds for Domestic Premiere and Ensemble Cast
With international screenings completed in Los Angeles, the production is scheduled to stage its official premiere across Indian cities shortly, which will bring forth initial domestic evaluations. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, renowned for Dangal, the project assembles an ensemble featuring Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Lara Dutta, and Vivek Oberoi across central roles.
