Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana has been drawing praise across the film industry. Joining the list of celebrities is Ram Gopal Varma, who recently shared an elaborate review of the film.
The filmmaker called the film a powerful experience that goes beyond the conventional devotional film. Taking to X, he wrote, “The #Ramayana is not a devotional film. It is a devotional force. The hero is not a blue god floating above the story. He is a man who has already seen the end of the world and still wilfully chooses to walk into it.”
Focusing on the character arcs, Ram Gopal Varma shared, “The rise is not of a kingdom. It is of a mind that challenges weakness. Every frame carries the weight of someone who has burnt the old rules and is now moving only by the logic of power. The violence is not a spectacle. It is the clarity of consequences.”
The filmmaker singled out Ranbir Kapoor's portrayal of Lord Ram, especially in the sequence following Sita's abduction. “Ranbir In the sequence after Sita's abduction, when he stands in the empty ashram and simply looks at the place where she was, the camera holds long enough to show that grief has already been converted into an arithmetic,” he wrote.
The #Ramayana is not a devotional film. It is a devotional force.The hero is not a blue god floating above the story. He is a man who has already seen the end of the world and still willfully chooses to walk into it. The rise is not of a kingdom. It is of a mind that challenges weakness. Every frame carries the weight of someone who has burned the old rules and is now moving only by the logic of power . The violence is not spectacle. It is the clarity of consequences What separates this from every other cinematic telling is that In a time when most films are still wary to move , this one simply moves. It does not explain itself. That is why it hits harder than anything that has come before it. You do not leave the film having watched a story. You leave it after living an experience Ranbir In the sequence after Sita's abduction, when he stands in the empty ashram and simply looks at the place where she was, the camera holds long enough to show that grief has already been converted into a arithmetic Yash does not play opposition. He plays the mind that has already accepted what it decided to destroy. In the long confrontation before the final night, when he speaks to Ram across the open ground with no army between them, he does not raise his voice. He simply states the price. The face never flinches. The body never shifts. @AnupamPkher in Jatayu's interception of the pushpak is not an act of mere loyalty. Wings half broken, bloodied, he keeps on coming because the mind has not yet accepted what the body is telling it. When he falls, the camera stays on the face. There is no cry. There is only the last argument continuing behind the eyes after his wings have stopped. That is not sacrifice. That is a man who understood the only rule left is to continue until you cannot. All in all I want to say this to each and everyone of all the greats who collaborated to make this great film is to treat any and all negative critics of this film as barking street dogs against the elephantine effort you all put in to create this magnifique piece of WONDER????????????????????
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) November 9, 2026
According to him, Yash does not play an opposition. “He plays the mind that has already accepted what it decided to destroy,” the filmmaker said, adding, “In the long confrontation before the final night, when he speaks to Ram across the open ground with no army between them, he does not raise his voice. He simply states the price. The face never flinches. The body never shifts.”
Ram Gopal Varma also praised Anupam Kher's poignant depiction of Jatayu, noting that the battle is “not an act of mere loyalty.” Emphasising how the character keeps charging forward with “wings half broken, bloodied", the director noted that it is because “the mind has not yet accepted what the body is telling it. When he falls, the camera stays on the face. There is no cry. There is only the last argument continuing behind the eyes after his wings have stopped. That is not sacrifice,” he shared.
He concluded the review by sharing, “All in all, I want to say this to each and every one of all the greats who collaborated to make this great film: treat any and all negative critics of this film as barking street dogs against the elephantine effort you all put in to create this magnifique piece of WONDER.”
Ramayana Part One features Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravi Dubey, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, and Arun Govil, among others, in leading roles. The second part of the film is scheduled for a 2028 release.
Also Read | Priyanka Chopra's Diwali Album Is All About Family Time With Nick Jonas And Daughter Malti
