Fan Review: Ramayana (Part 1) — An honest take from a die-hard movie buff.
Movie: Ramayana (Part 1) | Cinema: INOX The Marina Mall, OMR, Chennai | Fan rating: 4/5
Just walked out of the IMAX screening of Ramayana: Part 1, and honestly, my head is still buzzing. As someone who lives and breathes cinema, seeing an Indian epic mounted at this kind of scale on the big screen is a surreal feeling.
First things first—Yash completely owns this movie. The second he steps on screen as Ravana, the entire theater energy shifts. He isn’t playing a one-note cartoon villain; there’s actual weight, arrogance, and layered intensity in his eyes. Every frame he’s in feels electric, and the way they’ve conceptualized his ten heads and the Pushpaka Vimana gave me straight-up goosebumps.
Ranbir Kapoor takes a completely opposite route as Ram—very calm, grounded, and restrained. At first, I wondered if he was holding back a bit too much, especially when you put him up against Yash’s powerhouse screen presence, but it actually grew on me. He plays Ram like a serene, composed human being rather than an untouchable deity, which makes the emotional moments land better. Sai Pallavi as Sita is fantastic too; she brings so much grace and quiet strength to the role instead of just being a damsel in distress.
From a pure filmmaking standpoint, Nitesh Tiwari clearly swung for the fences. The action choreography feels raw and physical—especially that aerial sequence with Jatayu toward the end, which is easily one of the best-staged blocks I’ve seen in Indian cinema.
That said, watching it with my cinephile hat on, it isn’t flawless. Because this is only Part 1, the first half feels a bit rushed and episodic—almost like it’s checking off major story beats to set the board for the next film rather than letting scenes breathe. A couple of heavy VFX sequences with the asuras looked a little video-gamey, and while the Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman score is massive, there were a few moments where the sound mix felt a bit too loud over the dialogue.
Even with those minor hiccups, this is the exact kind of ambitious, larger-than-life filmmaking that reminds you why you fell in love with movies in the first place. Do yourself a favor and catch it on the biggest screen possible.
Now the agonizing wait for Part 2 begins!
Review by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Views are those of the contributor.