Ramayana: Part 1 opened in cinemas on Thursday, November 5, 2026, in India and Nepal. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, it is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the Hindu epic. First-day reviews are mixed, and what audiences think is still early.
The film
The film follows the story attributed to Valmiki. It opens with Ravana’s background, then moves to Rama’s life, his marriage to Sita and his exile.
The ensemble includes Ravie Dubey, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari. The music is by A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. The runtime is about 3 hours 14 to 15 minutes.
It had its world premiere on October 27 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. Part 2 was once expected around Diwali 2027 and is now planned for Diwali 2028. Malhotra has said a trilogy is possible.
It is released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version for some international markets. The listings in Nepal include Hindi 2D and 3D shows.
What critics say
Reviews are divided:
- Hindustan Times: 4 out of 5, praising performances, visual scale and memorable scenes, with a slow first half
- Moneycontrol: 4 out of 5, praising Ranbir, Yash and the visual effects, with reservations about the music
- The Indian Express: 3 out of 5, for the spectacle, with some blandness and slow character introductions
- Outlook: 2.5 out of 5, praising the production design and Yash and criticising emotional depth and writing
- Rediff: headlined “All Scale No Soul”
- IGN: 4 out of 10, criticising the emotional impact, effects and English dubbing
Rotten Tomatoes showed about 45% from 11 critic reviews at the time of our research, which is an early number.
Reviewers praise the sets and large sequences, especially the Jatayu episode. They also point to a slow opening, uneven visual effects and a divided response to the soundtrack. The song “Ravana Tandav” has drawn attention.
The cast
Reviewers have singled out Yash’s Ravana for his screen presence. Ranbir was questioned before release, but first reviews praise his stillness and restraint. Sai Pallavi’s performance has been praised by some viewers, while some online criticism focused on her styling, and Outlook questioned how much depth Sita and Bharat are given.
The Nepal release
The cities for Nepal release of Ramayana include Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Bharatpur, Pokhara, Biratnagar, Itahari, Butwal, Nepalgunj, Damauli and Birgunj.
Audience reaction
First-day-first-show viewers interviewed in India praised Ranbir’s calm portrayal, Yash’s entry, Sai Pallavi’s presence and the visuals. Others questioned the length, the music and some CGI.
The English version
The English version has been criticised for AI-assisted lip-sync and a shorter edit, reported at roughly 18 to 30 minutes shorter than the main cut. Reviewers who saw it called the dubbing unnatural.
