Paradise Lost? What Ramayana Feels Like In The Age Of Reels

Many Ramayans, many adaptations, and innumerable opinions. The first look of Ranbir Kapoor as Rama from Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana was launched in India yesterday morning. The much-awaited teaser was everywhere on social media by the time the country woke and started going about its day. What happened next did not come as a surprise.

A large section of X was filled with memes nitpicking every little detail of what they saw in the teaser. Many have already pronounced their verdict that the Rs 4,000 crore budget-film, bankrolled by Namit Malhotra and Yash, is set to tank.

Several of the social media users are convinced that Ranbir Kapoor is not Ram material, that he is no Maryada Purshottam. There is also discourse trashing the film's VFX.

Some were so extreme in their views that they said Ramayana teaser made Adipurush, the Om Raut-adaptation of Ramayan that was panned for its poor VFX and colloquial dialogues, look better. People were also unhappy about the makers showing the first look of the film in the US first. Then, there were some who wanted to give Ramayana, the first part of which releases this Diwali, a fair chance. 

Why is it that the Indian audience just cannot give a chance to yet-another Ramayan take?

Besides nostalgia and being the first of its kind, why does Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, a DD serial that ran from January 1987 to July 1988, still hold sway over us? The same goes for BR Chopra's Mahabharat, which ran on the national broadcaster for almost two years.

TV has produced quite a few Ramayan and Mahabharat adaptations. They were well liked and talked about but none could replace the OGs. Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia are still the OG Ram-Sita. Pankaj Dheer will forever be Karna first and Firoz Khan is more Arjun than Arjun himself could ever be.

Agree or not but "ITV serials Ramayana casting was too good". With such low budgets. pic.twitter.com/zoXH0V4ku6

— Viraj (@Yours_Viru) April 2, 2026

Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan came at a time when Indian television was still under the government, privatisation still had years to go. The variety and overexposure of all types of "content" that we have now in the era of social media was unimaginable.

In 1987, when Ramayan came, there was only one channel in the country. According to official 1987 data, India had about 90 lakh television sets serving a population of roughly 82 crore.

So, every Sunday at 9.30 am, Indians would crowd into the houses of neighbours who could afford a TV set to watch Ramayan, leaving markets deserted on a weekend morning. There were no distractions; it was a community experience, and people sat in rapture, taking in the unique experience of an age-old story unfolding on a TV screen, even though the reception was grainy.

Most importantly, Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia were relatively unknown faces who went on to become demigods with many still addressing them as Ram and Sita, often bowing down to them in devotion. But this unprecedented fame and love came with a steep price.

Both the Ramayan leads could never break out of the mould: Arun Govil's career came to a standstill as filmmakers found it hard to go past the Ram image, Dipika Chikhlia refused several film offers that came to her after the serial's success as she didn't want to let her fans down.

Ramayan was so popular even in the 2020s that it was re-run on TV during the pandemic to bring some familiarity to Indians at the time of peak uncertainty about life. Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia became who they are today after Ramayan. With Ramayana, a big-screen adaptation, we see a super popular name like Ranbir Kapoor, a fourth generation member of India's first film family, play Rama (not even Ram). Fun fact: Arun Govil plays King Dasharatha to Ranbir Kapoor's Ram in Ramayana.

We are being asked to reimagine the face of Ram -- the epitome of grace, duty, and righteousness -- in someone who has been Sid (Wake Up! Sid), Bunny (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani), and Rannvijay (Animal).

In my opinion, no human should portray a god. Maybe it made sense earlier when technology was limited, but with today's advanced animation, there's no reason to have humans play divine characters anymore. We humans simply don't have that stature. pic.twitter.com/uUYuwdJT8v

— Snehal 🍁 (@Snehalsays_03) April 2, 2026

What also doesn't help is the actor's alcohol drinking-beef eating image which he publicly tried to shed when he said he had left eating non-vegetarian food and gone teetotaller for Ramayana. You can imagine why there would be a problem.

Not only Ranbir Kapoor, accepting Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravan, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman will be a tall order. These names are not just actors, they are stars first with little mystery and too much scrutiny around them.

Besides fame, age is also not in Ranbir Kapoor's favour. According to Valmiki's Ramayan, Ram was 25 years old when he exiled. Arun Govil was in his late 20s when he played the character in 1987. Ranbir Kapoor will turn 44 by the time Ramayana Part 1 releases.

The scenario completely changes when we talk about a blended adaptation of Ramayan and Mahabharat in SS Rajamouli's Baahubali franchise.

From the animated adaptation standpoint, the only version that comes a very close second to Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan is Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, a 1993 India-Japanese film production which was an anime. It is still more rooted and believable than Adipurush and, perhaps this Ramayana.

nothing has topped this yetpic.twitter.com/PKFXjyXb1H

— Cine Vichaar (@Cine_vichaar) April 2, 2026

Getting Arun Govil to voice the character of Ram in the film also added a touch of familiarity with a dash of originality. And, don't we all remember the booming voice of Amrish Puri as Ravan? Who could be better than Mr India's Mogambo himself to portray one of the most iconic villains in Indian mythology?

The time gap between Ramayan and Ramayana is almost 40 years. There is a huge advancement in VFX technology, we have a community of skilled artists, and several million dollars at our disposal. Namit Malhotra's banner DNEG, known for winning eight Oscars for VFX work on Hollywood spectacles like Dune and Interstellar, is behind Ramayana.

The main thing missing from the Ramayana teaser. pic.twitter.com/Fyn56zKh7t

— Zaffar 🇮🇳 (@Zaffar_Nama) April 2, 2026

So, why is it that today with far better technology and greater canvas, filmmakers are just not able to make a larger section of the audience happy when it comes to VFX?

While we may now call them flawed or clumsy special effects, the Ramayan makers used the best technology available at the time. The serial now looks dated. Maybe that's what works in its favour, that it tells the story of a bygone era?

VFX is never a replacement of Practical Sets. It's supposed to be an addition working in-sync, together. Not an Alternative.#RamayanaGlimpse pic.twitter.com/w9HJOF9qVn

— Divyansh (@Speaks_Div) April 2, 2026

The Ramayana team, just like every other maker who brought a new version of the epic, is building on the legacy of that one era-defining show and adapting it for the big screen. They will have to deliver more than their very best in every possible department to really make some space in the heart of the common Indian who learnt more about Ramayan from the serial than the books.

This is just one teaser that has just come out, there will be many look reveals until the film releases. There's still a lot of work left on the post and it is an uphill task for the makers. People will continue to outrage for real, for fun. Sentiments will also be hurt. Ramayana makers can only up their game, there's no other option.

Perhaps it is just as well that Aamir Khan is taking his time with Mahabharat, his dream project.

Also Read | Ramayana Cast Salary: Rs 150 Crore For Ranbir Kapoor, Yash Takes Home Rs 100 Crore