Ramayana Movie Reviews: Ranbir Kapoor and Yash's Epic Opens in US Theaters as 'Ramayana: Rise of a Legend'

One of the most anticipated Indian films in years has reached American theaters. “Ramayana,” director Nitesh Tiwari’s big-budget telling of the ancient Hindu epic, opens in the U.S. on Thursday, Nov. 5, under the title “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend,” according to The Guardian and Cinemark’s listing. In India it is billed as “Ramayana Part 1.” Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Yash plays Ravana and Sai Pallavi plays Sita.

The first reviews are in, and they are largely positive, with praise for the scale and visual effects and more mixed notes on pacing and music.

Ramayana movie: what US moviegoers should know

• U.S. title: “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend”
• U.S. release: Nov. 5, 2026, also opening the same day in the U.K. and Australia, per The Guardian
• Rating: PG-13, according to Cinemark
• Runtime: Cinemark lists 2 hours 45 minutes; The Guardian described it as a “three-hour blockbuster.” Check your theater’s listing.
• Director: Nitesh Tiwari, whose “Dangal” Cinemark calls the highest-grossing Indian film worldwide
• Producer: Namit Malhotra, whose visual effects company DNEG did the film’s VFX
• Music: Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman
• Part 2: due next Diwali, a year from now, per The Indian Express

Ramayana reviews: what critics are saying

The Guardian (Peter Bradshaw) called it “a thoroughly engaging, rousing and spectacular Indian epic melodrama.” He compared its scale to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” and noted touches of Disney’s “The Lion King.” He also likened it to Hollywood’s sword-and-sandal era, calling it “a rather amazing adventure.” The Guardian’s headline calls it India’s most expensive film ever.

Hindustan Times (Rishabh Suri) gave it 4 stars. The review praised the VFX, saying “all that money shows on screen,” and singled out the Jatayu sequence, with Anupam Kher voicing the bird, as the film’s high point. Suri also had criticisms: a slow first half, “minor issues with the AI dubbing” and a Zimmer-Rahman score that falls short of sky-high expectations. The review mentions a reported budget of about ₹4,000 crore, which it calls “alleged.”

The Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta) gave it 3 stars. Gupta wrote that her fears “have largely been unfounded.” She said the film takes time to settle in but finds its rhythm by the halfway mark, and called it “unapologetically bigger than any other iteration” of the epic. She also pointed to “occasional blandness” and too many pop-culture influences early on.

The performances

Critics agreed most on Yash. Hindustan Times said he “owns” the film as Ravana. Opinions on Kapoor’s Rama were more divided. The Indian Express said he “starts off strangely subdued” but steadies and “finally cuts loose” in the forest sequences. Hindustan Times called his performance “a mixed bag,” strong in action but lacking the sense of devotion Arun Govil brought to the role on TV decades ago. Govil, who played Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s 1987 TV series, appears here as King Dasharatha.

Sai Pallavi’s Sita and Ravi Dubey’s Lakshmana also drew praise from both Indian critics. Lara Dutta plays Kaikeyi, and Sunny Deol is set to appear as Hanuman, a role expected to matter more in Part 2, per Hindustan Times.

What the story covers

Part 1 follows Rama’s birth in Ayodhya, his marriage to Sita, the family plot that sends Rama, Sita and Lakshmana into exile in the forest, and the events that set Rama on a collision course with Ravana, king of Lanka, The Guardian reported. The war with Lanka is saved for the second film.

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