Ramayana Part 1 Review: Yash, Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi Deliver a Spectacular, Heartwarming Take on an Epic!

Ramayana Part 1 Review is the search I knew would flood Google the moment Nitesh Tiwari’s epic reached theatres on 5 November 2026, so I am keeping this honest, detailed and light on spoilers.  

Most of us grew up with this story through Doordarshan reruns, bedtime tales and Diwali celebrations, which is why every new version feels like an exam. After the disappointment of Adipurush in 2023, this ₹4,000 crore two-part project carried the weight of an industry’s reputation. In this Ramayana Part 1 review, I cover the story, the performances, the music, the visuals, the early numbers, and the flaws. By the end, you will know whether it deserves your ticket money this Diwali week. 

My short answer: it is the most emotionally grounded big-screen version of the epic in years, with one caveat about length. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita are the three pillars, and I break down each one below.  

The Ramayana Part 1 box office collection is the other big talking point, so I cover that too. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: Release Date, Cast, Runtime and Budget at a Glance 

Here is the quick fact sheet I wish every review opened with. 

Filming ran from April 2024 to July 2025, roughly 15 months. A film this big cannot hide behind spectacle alone, and that is why this Ramayana Part 1 review focuses on emotion first.

The budget is also why the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection is being watched so closely. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: The Story (Spoiler-Light) 

The film opens with gods and asuras, then follows the defeated asuras into Lanka. It tracks Ravana’s rise through penance, Brahma’s boon, the defeat of Indra and the takeover of Lanka from Kubera. I loved this choice because the villain gets a journey, not just a face on a poster. 

Then the story shifts to Ayodhya, where Vishnu is born as Rama in King Dasharatha’s household, and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama enters the film. We see his training, his journey with Vishwamitra, the killing of Tadaka, the redemption of Ahalya and the Sita Swayamvar.  

The turning point arrives when Kaikeyi demands the throne for Bharata and sends Rama into a 14-year exile.

Shurpanakha’s humiliation then sets off the chain of events that ends with Ravana abducting Sita, which is why Sai Pallavi as Sita carries so much of the emotional weight. 

That is where this first part stops. The Rama versus Ravana battle is saved for Part 2, and I appreciate that the makers do not rush toward the war.

For any Ramayana Part 1 review, this patient setup is the biggest strength, because it makes the climax matter. 

Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama: Quiet Strength Over Loud Heroics 

Casting was the loudest debate before release, so let me start here. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama split opinions when the first teaser dropped. In my Ramayana Part 1 review, the casting verdict is simple: Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama works because he refuses to overact. 

His Rama is calm, patient and compassionate. The scene where he accepts exile without protest is the emotional anchor of the first half. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama plays his conversations with Kaikeyi with sadness, not anger, and that choice lands.  

India TV gave the film 4 out of 5 and highlighted this restraint, while at least one other outlet felt Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama was stronger in action than in emotion. I sit closer to the first camp, though I understand the second. 

He also plays a second divine role, Parashurama, which is his third double role after Shamshera and Animal. Ranbir reportedly spent a full year preparing, and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama shows that effort in the stillness he brings. It is not a flashy performance, but it is a trustworthy one. 

Following his career? Read my earlier piece on the Emraan Hashmi and Ranbir Kapoor movie rumours. 

Yash as Ravana: The Performance Everyone Will Talk About 

If one name trends after the first shows, it is Yash. Yash as Ravana changes the temperature of every scene he walks into. Critics across outlets agree, and my Ramayana Part 1 review lands in the same place. 

His dialogue delivery has weight, and his presence feels built for a king who believes the three worlds belong to him. 

What impressed me most is that Yash as Ravana is not written as a cartoon villain. The film gives him ambition, intelligence, and an obsession with supremacy. You understand why people followed him, which makes his choices more chilling.

One review described him as owning the part with swagger and permanent smugness, which sums up Yash as Ravana perfectly. 

Yash is also a producer through Monster Mind Creations, so this is clearly a passion project. After a rough patch with Toxic, Yash as Ravana is the comeback performance his fans wanted, and it also shows how well the role suits his pan-India image. 

Sai Pallavi as Sita: Grace with a Spine 

Any doubts about casting vanished the moment Sai Pallavi appeared. Sai Pallavi as Sita is natural, warm, and quietly strong. She does not play with a passive ideal wife. She plays a woman with her own thoughts, and that makes the Rama and Sita scenes feel like a real relationship. 

The Swayamvar and the forest scenes show the best of Sai Pallavi as Sita. Her face does heavy lifting, and she rarely needs a long speech. India TV praised the dignity and sensitivity she brings, and I agree.

Sai Pallavi as Sita is the heart of the film, and her chemistry with Ranbir is the warmest part of the runtime. 

It also raises hope for Part 2, where Sita’s strength will be tested far more. If Sai Pallavi as Sita is this convincing in the setup, the saga has a strong foundation. 

Supporting Cast: Lakshman, Kaikeyi, Dasharatha and More 

Beyond Sai Pallavi as Sita, the supporting performances give the film its texture. 

• Ravie Dubey as Lakshman: Devoted, quick to anger and surprisingly funny, with an easy brotherhood with Rama. 

• Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi: She handles the emotional shifts with control, which matters because the exile hinges on her. 

• Arun Govil as Dasharatha: Casting the man who played Ram on television in 1987 as the father is a lovely, nostalgic touch. 

• Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha: Graceful and menacing with limited screen time. 

• Others: Adinath Kothare (Bharata), Vivek Oberoi (Vidyutjihva), and Saurabh Sachdeva (Maricha) leave an impression, and Anupam Kher voices Jatayu. 

Sunny Deol is billed as Hanuman, but the reports I read on this first half do not dwell on him, so his big moments likely belong to Part 2. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: Direction, Writing and Pacing 

Nitesh Tiwari made his name with human drama in Dangal and Chhichhore, and that instinct saves this film from becoming a museum of set pieces. He keeps returning to relationships: Rama and Lakshman’s bond, Rama and Sita’s tenderness, and Rama’s exchange with Kaikeyi.  

Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita benefit most, because the writing gives them quiet scenes to breathe. 

The screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan and Tiwari respect the source. There are no cheap liberties with language or characters, which was the biggest mistake of Adipurush. The weak spot is pacing

At 195 minutes in India, the Lanka politics stretches feel slow, and a tighter edit would have helped. Still, patience gives the story its own identity. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: Music, VFX and Cinematography 

This is where the film justifies its budget. 

Music: A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer on the same project sounded like a fantasy when announced. The songs carry the spiritual beats, while the background score adds weight to conflict and tension. 

Visual effects: DNEG’s work is a major strength. Divine weapons, the palaces of Lanka and the Ravana and Jatayu confrontation stand out. A few larger creatures look slightly artificial, but the scale covers most gaps. Yash as Ravana gets the best of these Lanka frames. 

Cinematography: Pankaj Kumar and Mahesh Limaye give each location an identity. Lanka is gold and power, while Ayodhya is discipline and peace. The film was shot for IMAX, so a premium screen is the right way to see it. 

Ramayana Part 1 Box Office Collection: Early Numbers and What They Mean 

Numbers are the second thing everyone searches, so here is the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection picture as of late morning on 5 November 2026. Treat these as early, moving figures, because trackers update through the day. 

My read on the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection is cautious optimism. The advance numbers are huge, but the early live figures only reflect morning shows, and some reports mention a pre-Diwali lull.  

The real test of the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection is the weekend and Diwali day, when families fill theatres. 

With ₹4,000 crore spread across two parts, the film needs a long run, so the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection on days 4 to 7 will tell us more than Day 1.

The competition is stiff, too, with old favourites like Mohra returning to theatres after 32 years.  

Track the live Bollywood Hungama box office page for confirmed data. Whatever the final Ramayana Part 1 box office collection is, word of mouth decides the rest.  

Buzz around Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita will matter most, and I will update the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection figures here as trade data firms up. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: How It Compares With Adipurush 

The comparison is unavoidable. Adipurush (2023) became a box office bomb and drew heavy criticism, which is why audiences walked in with folded arms. Even the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection will be measured against Adipurush’s run.  

Here, the language and characters stay close to the epic, and emotion comes before effects. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama never turns into a superhero, and that alone separates the two films. 

I covered a related debate when Manoj Muntashir made an emotional appeal asking people not to compare Ramayana to Adipurush. Having seen how this film is built, I think the comparison favours Nitesh Tiwari’s approach. 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: What Works and What Doesn’t 

What works 

• Emotional storytelling that never gets buried under spectacle 

• Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, restrained and dignified 

• Yash as Ravana, layered and magnetic 

• Sai Pallavi as Sita, graceful with inner strength 

• A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer’s music, plus DNEG’s VFX 

• Huge advance buzz that supports the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection 

What doesn’t 

• The 195-minute runtime, which could be tighter 

• A few CGI shots that look artificial 

• A first part that ends before the main battle, so the payoff waits until Diwali 2027 

Ramayana Part 1 Review: Is It Worth Watching? My Verdict 

Yes, and I would recommend a big screen. If you love Indian epics, family drama and large-scale filmmaking, it is worth the ticket. If you dislike long films, plan your snacks, because three hours and fifteen minutes is a real commitment.  

My rating is 4 out of 5. It loses a star for pacing and a few patchy effects, not for lack of heart. Yash as Ravana gets the loudest applause, Sai Pallavi as Sita the warmest and Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama the most respect.  

If word of mouth holds, the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection should follow. 

Conclusion 

To wrap up this Ramayana Part 1 review, Nitesh Tiwari has delivered a film that respects the epic and still feels cinematic. Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama brings calm dignity, Yash as Ravana brings fire and Sai Pallavi as Sita brings the soul.  

The music and visuals justify the scale, and the Ramayana Part 1 box office collection will show over

the coming days whether audiences agree. The runtime and a few weak effects hold it back, but they do not break the experience. 

Planning your Diwali watchlist? Check out The Most Exciting Upcoming Movies to Watch in October 2026 and Beyond and browse more honest verdicts in my Movie Reviews section. Tell me in the comments: which performance stayed with you most, and are you counting days for Part 2? 

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