Courtney Howard // Film Critic
RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND
Rated PG-13, 3 hours (Hindi w/ English Subtitles)
Directed by: Nitesh Tiwari
Starring: Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Ravie Dubey, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi
There should be only one way to watch director/ co-writer Nitesh Tiwari’s RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND and that’s big and loud where all of the film’s sublime spectacle and beautiful bombast can be celebrated in its full glory. The sprawling saga warrants a massive scale and expansive scope telling the time-honored tale centered on a prince, a vengeful king and a fateful prophecy that brings the pair together. Adapted by Tiwari and co-writer Shridhar Raghavan, the original text has been translated into a breathtaking, dazzling VFX showcase enhanced by a blockbuster orchestral score. A heartrending emotional pull filled with solid stakes and captivating lead performances round out this exhilarating action-adventure journey.
The Ramayana is widely considered one of the longest epic poems – and Tiwari’s film is reflective of that notion. And it’s only PART 1. The elongated prologue is incredibly dense with narrated (but absolutely necessary) exposition and character set-up about battles between celestial beings maintaining cosmic balance and deities vying for control of the 3 realms (Heaven, Earth and the Underworld). There are flying elephants, gargantuan giants and gorgeous deities clashing on a snowy battlefield. While there’s no time wasted, the aesthetically impeccable origin stories during this portion play like slightly disjointed vignettes rather than parts of one continuous story. It’s understandably a lot to digest, but still functional and absolutely essential when it comes to informing character construction and world-building.
Once the title card finally drops, however, the proceedings become constantly propulsive. The feature primarily focuses on the details that color the impending clash between Ayodhya’s righteous Prince Ram (Ranbir Kapoor) and Lanka’s ruthless King Ravana (Yash). Ravana has vengeance in mind and was granted almost total immortality by deity Brahma. His demonic wrath brings destruction as he seeks to be the ultimate warrior and ruler over the 3 realms. Still, there is a loophole where he can be killed by a mortal.
Enter Ram, a human who’s also the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu (a god whose goal is to restore balance to the universe). He’s smart, strong and has been given all the advantages as the favorite royal son of the King, which has made his stepmom jealous and bitter. A power play for the crown forces him, his caring wife Sita (Sai Pallavi), and his loyal bestie/ brother Lakshman (Ravi Dubey) into a years-long exile far away from home. It’s there where Ram’s mettle is tested and his destiny crystalizes, putting him on a clandestine path to battle his nemesis Ravana and save the universe.
Lovers of maximalist cinema are undoubtedly going to love Tiwari’s vision. Every action sequence conceptualized by Guy Norris and Terry Notary is ginormous, full of character drive and gorgeous visual effects. DNEG’s work creating lavish environments and expressive animation on the animals – specifically valiant, divine eagle Jatayu, whose attempts to rescue Sita lock him in a harrowing conflict with Ravana – is truly incredible. For all the elements rendered (like fire, dirt, water, wind) in these lush-looking, computer-generated locations, a highlight is the visual representation of Ravana’s tormented, splintered psyche, where the camera pushes in on his eye and through to an internal, dark labyrinth-like void (a place strangely reminiscent of HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II’s lair for its villain).
With the exception of the two, slightly repetitive Cursed Forest sequences (both of which serve larger narrative purposes) where Ram and Lakshman defeat kaiju-sized trapped spirits, the big set pieces are all indelible and enriched with spellbinding awe. Ravana’s makeshift arena fight against his arrogant brother-in-law Vidyutjiva (Vivek Oberoi) is well-choreographed, factoring in the footwork, medieval-style weaponry and the pulse-pounding stakes for Ravana’s stunningly beautiful sister Surpanakha (Rakul Preet Singh). Ravana’s troll army and ensuing ferocious wolf-dog pursuit of Sati, Ram and Lakshman through the outerlands is suspenseful and excitingly executed, building into yet another bigger character moment for Ram during a sandstorm where he levels up his powers.
Music numbers contain the beating heart and effervescent soul of the picture, from Ravana’s fiery percussive during the Sacred Horse Ritual to Ram and Sita’s colorful first meeting at sunset, lit by candlelight and showered by rose petals. Both montages speak to the head and the heart in equal measure. They help tether us to the emotional weight of the story where there’s little dialogue being spoken, but meaningful storytelling is still happening. Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman have crafted bold, brilliant compositions that augment the heroic highs, touching tenderness and dark, dastardly deeds at play.
Kapoor shines as the hero of this tale, exploring his character’s meaningful inner conflicts. He infuses the material with depth and dimension, giving a nuanced, vulnerable performance. Yash gifts his adversarial, intimidating villain a fascinating sense of intrigue. His magnetic, powerful presence is amplified to its greatest abilities. Pallavi effuses Sita with warmth, grace and strength. Dubey whole-heartedly embodies bravery, courage and loyalty in his work as the hero’s trusted sidekick. Still, it’s Singh who threatens to steal the spotlight. She’s remarkably charismatic, gorgeous and knows precisely how to make her deceitful, conniving character deeply flawed yet sympathetic (at least up to a point).
RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND is a soaring achievement not solely for Bollywood, but in the vast world of filmmaking. Bring on PART 2 (which is scheduled to be released Diwali 2028).
Grade: 4.5 out of 5
RAMAYANA: RISE OF A LEGEND is now playing in theaters.
