Ramayana first reviews: Ranbir Kapoor moves audiences to tears at LA premiere

Few stories have been retold on screen as often as the Ramayana, and each new version is measured against the ones before it. On Monday night in Los Angeles, Nitesh Tiwari’s long-awaited adaptation met its first audience. Many viewers came away moved, and some felt the epic’s emotional core didn’t always come through the grandeur.

The world premiere took place on October 27. Most early reactions are enthusiastic, and several viewers describe the film as a deeply felt experience. A few gently note that its visual ambition sometimes runs ahead of its storytelling. The film opens worldwide on November 5, 2026.

The case for: 'A grand spectacle'

The strongest praise came from entertainment journalist Rama. On X, he described the visuals, dance sequences, music and action as “colossal.” He called Ranbir Kapoor’s Rama “sublime” and Yash’s Ravana “magnetic,” and rated the film among the year’s most immersive big-screen experiences.

He also confirmed that the film has a post-credit scene. According to him, it teases “that one iconic character” fans have been waiting for, and he added that he was looking forward to a sequel in 2028.

Film reviewer Theresa Simoni singled out Kapoor’s performance. She called him “some serious talent” and said the film moved her to tears. Another viewer described Kapoor as “graceful & divine” and Yash as “phenomenal & magnetic,” and predicted a blockbuster. A third called the screening “an astounding event in cinematic history.”

The most vivid reaction compared the film to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). This viewer said he had not felt this way since Peter Jackson’s first instalment, and said there was “nothing like Ramayana” in cinema, for better or worse. He said he went in wanting a story that would teach him something, since people kept telling him how much the epic means to Indian culture. The cliffhanger ending made him shout “No!” when the screen went black. He chose the original Hindi cut, which runs more than three hours, over the English dub, which he said is about 30 minutes shorter. “I felt like I had just left a fairy tale,” he said.

The case against: “A mixed bag”

X handle Venky Reviews was more critical. Notably, this reviewer saw the shorter English version.

He gave credit to the ambition and scale and said the team largely stays faithful to the source. His main criticism was that the film favours spectacle and action over drama and emotion, so parts of the narration felt flat and at times “serial like.” He blamed a dragging second half on where Part 1 chooses to end. In his view, the limited story material gets stretched across long action sequences that don’t land.

He called Yash’s Ravana “the biggest highlight,” especially in the character’s introduction. He rated Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as solid but said the “divine aura and emotional weight” didn’t always reach the screen. Some scenes have a green-screen look, and a few of the asuras look cartoonish. His biggest complaint was the music. He argued that the blend of Indian and Hollywood styles “largely backfires” in a story whose score has to carry its divinity. His conclusion was that the film is watchable and better than some recent adaptations, but falls short of the huge expectations around it.