Ramayana Review: Nitesh Tiwari's Epic Is a Must-Watch

We open in Ayodhya, where a young prince named Ram (Ranbir Kapoor) is living his best life - obedient son, devoted brother to Lakshman (Ravi Dubey), and general golden boy of the kingdom. Then he meets Sita (Sai Pallavi), and the film pivots into one of the most charming courtship sequences I've seen in years. Theirs is a love story built on stolen glances, playful banter, and the kind of instant chemistry that makes you forget you're watching a mythological epic.

But this is the Ramayana - happiness is temporary. The marriage is barely consummated before the exile decree drops, orchestrated by the ever-scheming Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta, absolutely sinking her teeth into the villainous stepmother role). Ram, Sita, and Lakshman are banished to the forest for fourteen years, and the film ends just as the real storm clouds begin to gather. Ravana (Yash) looms large in the background, and we all know what's coming. The story smartly keeps its focus on the emotional foundations rather than rushing to the big battle. It's a setup, and a patient one at that.

Let's start with the obvious: Ranbir Kapoor. The man has range, but this is something else entirely. He plays Ram with a quiet, grounded dignity that makes the character feel less like a deity and more like a genuinely decent guy trying to do the right thing. The film has him pulling triple duty - Prince Ram, the fierce Parshuram, and Lord Vishnu himself - and Kapoor differentiates each with subtle shifts in posture and voice. It's the kind of performance that wins awards and spawns a thousand GIFs.

Sai Pallavi, meanwhile, is the film's beating heart. She brings a fierce intelligence to Sita that refuses to let her be a passive damsel. Their scenes together crackle with warmth and humor - there's a moment during their courtship where she out-argues him about duty and destiny, and the look on his face is pure "oh no, I'm in trouble." Yash's Ravana is appropriately operatic, but he's used sparingly here, which makes every second he's onscreen feel electric. And a special shoutout to Arun Govil, the original TV Ram, playing King Dashrath - a lovely bit of casting that will make longtime fans misty-eyed.

Technically, the film is a feast. The production design is lush without being suffocating, the action sequences are clean and legible, and the visual effects mostly hold up (there's one forest creature that looks a bit dodgy, but we'll let it slide). The pacing is the main issue - the middle act drags a bit, and you feel that 167-minute runtime in your bladder. But when the film hits its emotional beats - the exile scene, in particular, will wreck you - all is forgiven.

Pros:

• Ranbir Kapoor's nuanced, multi-layered performance
• Sai Pallavi is captivating and brings real depth to Sita
• Yash's Ravana is a scene-stealing force of nature
• Gorgeous production design and mostly solid VFX
• Emotionally resonant storytelling that respects the source material

Cons:

• The middle act loses momentum
• Some dialogue leans a little too hard into exposition
• Runtime could have been trimmed by 15-20 minutes

Ramayana is that rare beast: a big-budget spectacle with a soul. Nitesh Tiwari has crafted a film that honors its source material while making it accessible to audiences who've never picked up an epic in their lives. See it on the biggest screen you can find, and bring tissues. And maybe a snack - you'll be there a while.