India's costliest film retells a beloved Hindu epic - but divides critics

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, described as India’s most expensive film, has opened in cinemas worldwide as a lavish two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the first installment stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, and is backed by major Indian and international talent, including visual-effects company DNEG and composers A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer.

The film arrives just before Diwali, a timing that adds cultural significance because the festival marks Ram’s return to Ayodhya in the epic. The BBC says the project has generated huge anticipation, but early reactions have been divided. Some reviewers praised the scale, performances and visual effects, while others said the spectacle overwhelms the storytelling, the action feels awkward, or the computer-generated imagery falls short. A further point of criticism has been the use of AI to alter lip movements in the English-language version, which the director said was meant to broaden accessibility.

The article places the release in a wider context of the Ramayana’s long history in Indian culture, including older stage, literary and screen adaptations. It notes that the story also carries political and religious sensitivity in India, where retellings have sometimes triggered controversy. The BBC frames the new film as both a major technical undertaking and a test of how a deeply revered story translates to today’s global movie audience.