Malayalam literary critic Saradakutty says she fell asleep while watching the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Ramayana, describing it as a “3D gimmick”. The writer criticised the magnum opus, calling it a 3D ballet and expressing her disappointment in the first part, saying that it did not create even the slightest desire to watch the second part.
Saradakutty began her social media post with a critical observation. She criticised the unnecessary use of violence in cinema, saying it has become a fashion now. The writer found the 3D effects exhausting, as she had to move her head and neck repeatedly. She found the Rakshasas, except Ravana, to be grotesque, calling them characters in a ballet. Even though she was disappointed with the characters, she praised Yash's Ravana and his screen presence.
"With the 3D effects, I often found myself dodging with my head and neck. I had seen spears flying straight towards the face before, but this time I was so startled repeatedly that I eventually became exhausted. Among the demon characters, except for Ravana, everyone else appeared grotesque to me, almost like characters in a Baale. It was entirely a 3D Baale. Ravana, on the other hand, had an unbelievable personality and screen presence!"
The writer added that it was good that Dasharatha's Putrakameshti Yagna and Ravana's abduction of Sita were presented briefly. Saradakutty said she missed some of the scenes of Mandodari's introduction, Parashurama and Rama fight and Maricha's scene of transforming into a deer. The critic said, because she realised that, apart from the technical advancements, there was nothing new in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.
"It was good that Dasharatha's Putrakameshti Yagna and Ravana's abduction of Sita were presented briefly without unnecessary elaboration. I dozed off for a while, so I missed paying attention to the portions featuring Mandodari and Maricha transforming into a deer. The confrontation between Parashurama and Rama also happened while I was asleep. By then, I had already realised that, apart from the technical advancements, nothing substantially new had been brought to the story compared to the Ramayana I watched 35 years ago."
She appreciated Yash, Sai Pallavi and Shobana, and said anything else didn't appeal to her. She added that the Pushpaka Vimana, Jatayu and the forests were exceptionally beautiful to look at.
"Except for Yash, Sai Pallavi and Shobana, I did not find anyone particularly appealing. The Pushpaka Vimana, Jatayu and the forests were exceptionally beautiful to look at. The first part did not create even the slightest desire in me to watch the second part."
