Presenting a story that everyone already knows on the big screen is not an easy task. And when it comes to narrating an epic like the Ramayana, it is nothing short of a daring attempt. Even a small deviation can lead to serious consequences. Despite these challenges, director Nitesh Malhotra has taken up this ambitious project. He decided to make the Ramayana as a two-part film with a budget running into thousands of crores of rupees. The first part was released worldwide on Thursday. The film also arrived before Telugu audiences. Even before its release, Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama, was heavily trolled on social media, with many saying he was not at all suitable for the role. Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, also faced criticism, with many questioning her suitability for the character. Against this backdrop, winning over audiences was certainly a challenging task. However, the team behind Ramayana appears to have succeeded in this endeavour.
Despite knowing the story, many people are keen to watch the tale of Lord Rama on the big screen. That is exactly what is happening now. This is evident from the film's advance bookings, which have crossed a staggering Rs. 100 crore. Apart from Namit Malhotra, pan-India star Yash, who plays Ravana in the film, is also one of its producers. Director Nitesh Tiwari has ended the first part with the episode in which Ravana abducts Sita. The film concludes the first half with Lord Rama taking a vow that, no matter how difficult it may be to reach Lanka, he will go there and bring Sita back. Coming to the first part of Ramayana, Ravana's character gets more elevation than Lord Rama's. The character has worked out particularly well. Yash has done complete justice to his role as Ravana. Ranbir Kapoor has also impressed as Lord Rama. However, Ravi Dubey, who appears as Lakshmana, is particularly well-suited to his character and makes a strong impression.
Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, may not be described as outstanding in the role, but her performance is satisfactory. The biggest highlight of Ramayana is its visuals, which are spectacular from beginning to end. The VFX is equally grand. It is evident that the film has been made on a massive budget, in keeping with the scale of the story. Rakul Preet Singh and Shobana, who play other important characters in the film, have done justice to their respective roles. However, Kajal Aggarwal's character does not have much significance. Rather than simply narrating the Ramayana as a story to the present generation, attempting to bring it alive on the big screen in this manner is certainly a good experiment. The efforts of the director and producers appear to have paid off.
Rating: 3.75/5