Ramayana First Review: US Critic Praises Epic, Prefers RRR

The Ramayana first review has arrived, and it is a mixed one. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film is billed as the biggest and most expensive Indian production ever, with a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore across two parts. Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi lead the cast. Part One releases on November 5, 2026, and Part Two is expected by Diwali 2028.

Ahead of the festive release, critics in the US were invited to an early screening, and the first reactions are now online.

What Worked for the Critic

The reviewer enjoyed the story, AR Rahman’s music and the visual effects, which he compared to those of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Yash and the actor playing Ravana drew particular praise for their performances.

Dubbing, Action and Casting Concerns

The praise came with reservations. The English dub was criticised, and some action sequences were described as looking AI-generated. Ranbir Kapoor was called miscast in the role of Ram. In comparison with RRR, the critic preferred S.S. Rajamouli’s film for its acting, direction, screenplay, thrills and music, though he still appreciated the Indian epic.

The screening itself also raised eyebrows. An international critic warned colleagues that Sony was showing only the English dub to the press. He said it was lip-synced using generative AI and ran about 30 minutes shorter than the original Hindi version, which was not screened before release.

A New York Times journalist replied that she had seen the film this week and mostly enjoyed it. She said she disliked the English dubbing and had told Sony so, adding that she would rather watch films in their original language, in this case Hindi, which she understands.

With the release two weeks away, the Hindi version will be the real test for audiences in India.