Ramayana: Rise of a Legend

OVERVIEW

Did you watch The Odyssey and leave disappointed that it wasn’t big enough? Do you miss the epic scope of Cecil B. DeMille’s classics of the ’50s and have ever wondered what it would have looked like in modern times? Ramayana: Rise of a Legend might finally scratch that itch. The first installment of India’s most expensive film project, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend adapts the ancient Hindu epic, following Rama (Ranbir Kapoor), a prince believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He has been anointed heir to the throne, but one of the king’s wives, Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta), manipulated by her jealous maidservant Manthara (Sheeba Chaddha), convinces the king to name her own son as his successor and send Rama into a fourteen-year exile. Rama accepts his fate and leaves the kingdom accompanied by his wife Sita (Sai Pallavi) and his devoted brother Lakshmana (Ravie Dubey). Meanwhile, the powerful king Ravana (Yash) seeks to challenge the gods themselves, setting him on a path toward a confrontation with Rama.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally attributed to the ancient Sanskrit poet Valmiki, the Ramayana is one of Hinduism’s most important religious epics, having been retold and adapted countless times over the centuries, including the enormously popular 1987 Indian television series and the 1992 Indian-Japanese animated film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama. This latest adaptation was developed for more than a decade by producer Namit Malhotra, the CEO of visual effects company DNEG (Interstellar, Dune), and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, best known for Dangal (2016), one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. Conceived as a two-part production filmed for IMAX, the project has a combined budget of approximately $500 million, including its worldwide release and marketing costs. The extensive visual effects were handled by DNEG and ReDefine, while the action sequences involved Hollywood veterans Terry Notary (Planet of the Apes) and Guy Norris (Mad Max: Fury Road). The film also brings Hans Zimmer together with acclaimed Indian composer A. R. Rahman.

THE REVIEW

The orchestra shakes the roof. The sets are lavish. The visuals dazzle (at least most of the time). And at first, you might feel as though you are standing in the grandest palace in India, overwhelmed by the extraordinary detail, the shine, and the sheer size of everything. It is all simply immense, and those unfamiliar with the epic (like myself) had better come prepared for a story as dense as The Lord of the Rings, with countless places, characters, events, and mythology to keep track of. By the end, you’ll be exhausted but exhilarated.

The film opens with an extended prelude that, admittedly, is not easy to follow. In rapid succession, we go from a narration establishing the gods to an enormous battle, to following one character only to switch sides, then move on to her son, Ravana, and his journey, a negotiation with a god, and his subsequent rise to power, with countless jumps in time along the way. Only then do we meet the protagonist, his family, and his circumstances, and finally the events that will set the whole drama in motion. It certainly doesn’t help that some of the film’s shakiest visuals are front-loaded, occasionally approaching the visual atrocities of Gods of Egypt and The Great Wall. Meanwhile, Zimmer and Rahman’s score blazes away at full volume, stating its themes with such force that the orchestra sounds four times its usual size. The film eventually catches its breath about an hour in, but until then, you can’t help feeling bombarded with information and stimulation.

Once we finally reach Prince Ram, things get instantly better. Portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor with an earnestness that feels consistently authentic, Ram is the sort of character whose good nature could prove uninteresting, but instead, his optimism and positive view of the world feel rather contagious. He becomes someone we instantly wish the best for, and the way he makes decisions and overcomes each challenge only makes him more captivating. His relationships with Sita and his brother Lakshmana are equally convincing, with a genuine affection between them that makes their willingness to sacrifice so much for one another particularly touching.

That creates a great contrast with Yash’s Ravana, who ferociously commands our attention. Where Ram faces injustice with patience and understanding, Ravana allows his anger and desire for revenge to consume him. Yash gives a larger-than-life performance for a larger-than-life character, one who can be absolutely terrifying while still earning our sympathy. We understand his grievances and know where his arc is headed, but we still hope things will turn out differently. He makes for a compelling, genuinely threatening villain, and the perfect foe for Ram, leaving us eager to see their confrontation in the next part.

While there is enough drama here for several seasons of a soap opera, with betrayals, jealousies, and bitter family disputes, it is the spectacle that remains the great attraction. The film makes excellent use of 3D, with enormous wide shots full of depth and detail, despite occasional instances of flat faces or objects that don’t quite occupy the right plane of the image. The action scenes are often thrilling, particularly an enormous battle in the forest where Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana face the demon brothers Khara and Dushana and their army, in a wonderfully choreographed sequence that will remind you of Demon Slayer in how quickly it escalates. Even better is the climactic confrontation between Ravana and Jatayu, an enormous divine bird who attempts to rescue Sita. Their spectacular battle takes place high above the ground, with extraordinary visual effects and genuine emotion. If the opening overwhelms us with its sheer size, by the conclusion, the film has found a much better balance between its enormous ambitions and the intimate emotions, leaving you ready and excited for more.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Ramayana: Rise of a Legend takes nearly an hour to find its footing, overwhelming us with exposition, relentless music, and some uneven visual effects. But there is tremendous filmmaking here, and once Ram takes center stage, the spectacle becomes genuinely exciting and occasionally quite moving.

At a glance

4/5

“IMMENSE”

Where to watch

🍿New In Theaters

Where to watch

📅Coming soonNov 19, 2026

Trailer

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