The much-anticipated teaser of Ramayana, headlined by Ranbir Kapoor and directed by Nitesh Tiwari, dropped on Thursday with VFX-heavy visuals to represent the grandeur of the era followed by glimpses of Ranbir as the mighty God. While it was welcomed with praise for its cinematography and extensive use of CGI, not all are happy with the teaser.
As soon as the video was shared online, several users criticised Ranbir Kapoor's casting, noting that he "looked aged" with his role not looking "convincing". A user appreciated the visuals, but called it "exaggerated" for the makers' claim of making the film with a Rs 4000 crore budget. Another user said the teaser doesn't reflect the "international level" project that the makers promised it to be and suggested improvements before its release. While some supported the makers, stating they have time to render the scenes to make it look better, others expressed their displeasure on the visuals. One person said it "looks like scenes cut from PS4". "How can they expect this to "amaze" a global audience when a B-tier Hollywood film has the same VFX," they wrote.
Some pointed out the usage of AI to enhance the teaser, stating that it looks "too noticeable". They emphasised on the need to work on the special effects to make it "look more authentic". The comments continued to flow in with another user saying, "The Ramayana teaser felt like a project, not passionate filmmaking."
A few X users also drew comparisons between the Ramayana teaser and SS Rajamouli's Varanasi glimpse, headlined by Mahesh Babu that was unveiled a few months ago. For the unversed, that video also presented a world where Hanuman and Lord Ram were present. With many siding towards Varanasi, some criticised the trend of comparing films as it holds two different storylines. One person took the example of Mani Ratnam's Ponniyin Selvan, stating that the latter looks "realistic". "Mani Ratnam's making in mostly real locations gives it a more realistic look, even though it is apparently made in a budget 8 times less than the latter," the person wrote.
A few even shared visuals of the anime adaptation of the epic story Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, saying, "Nothing has topped this yet."
This is not the first time the film and Ranbir Kapoor have come under backlash. It was subjected to hate and massive ire when the film's first glimpse was released. The arguments against the film ranged from illogical to constructive, with some users accusing the makers of casting a "beef eater" (Ranbir) in the role of Ram and others comparing the film to the famous TV show of the same name. In an old interview, Ranbir revealed that he likes consuming beef, which surfaced again this time, just like around the release of Brahmastra.
Ramayana also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. Raghav Juyal has also been brought on board for a crucial role, according to a few reports. Backed by Namit Malhotra, the film's music has been composed by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer.
The stunning spectacle-filled visuals have been created by DNEG, a VFX company which has won eight Academy Awards for works on films like Inception, Interstellar and the Dune films.
Ramayana will be released in two parts, with the first one scheduled for Diwali release this year, the next will come on the occasion of the same festival in 2027.