Ramayana first reactions are finally here, and they suggest that Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part epic has made exactly the kind of entrance its makers were hoping for. The film, officially titled Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, held its world premiere in Los Angeles on 27 October 2026, and the first viewers to walk out of the screening took to social media within hours to share what they had seen. The overall mood is one of awe, with a few honest notes of caution mixed in.
It is important to be clear about what these early responses are. The Ramayana first reactions shared so far come from premiere guests and early viewers posting their first impressions online, not from full-length critic reviews. Those formal reviews will follow closer to the film’s worldwide theatrical release on 5 November 2026. What we have right now is the raw, immediate feeling of an audience that has just watched one of the most ambitious Indian films ever mounted.
A premiere built for a big first impression
The premiere itself was no ordinary screening. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend was shown at the David Geffen Theater inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, with lead actors Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi in attendance. The event gave Hollywood and international guests their first full look at the film ahead of its release in cinemas, IMAX and premium large formats around the world.
Director Nitesh Tiwari has spent years preparing this adaptation, and the premiere was the moment the project stopped being a promise and became a finished film that people could actually judge. That is why the Ramayana first reactions matter so much: they are the first real test of whether the film’s scale, casting and storytelling land with an audience.
The Lord of the Rings comparison everyone is repeating
The single most repeated line in the Ramayana first reactions is a comparison with The Lord of the Rings. One premiere viewer wrote that there is nothing like Ramayana in the cinematic universe, adding that he had not felt this way since the very first Lord of the Rings film came out. He described the film as very grand and very epic, and singled out the character of Rama as simply wow.
That comparison is not a small claim. The Lord of the Rings remains the benchmark for fantasy world-building on screen, so for viewers to reach for it unprompted tells you how large the film feels in a theatre. Several other reactions used the same language, calling the film a grand spectacle and one of the year’s most immersive cinematic experiences.
Ranbir Kapoor’s Rama wins the quiet praise
If one performance keeps appearing at the top of the Ramayana first reactions, it is Ranbir Kapoor’s portrayal of Rama. Entertainment journalist Rama, posting as RamasScreen, called Kapoor sublime, while reviewer Theresa Simoni wrote that the actor moved her to tears and called the experience unforgettable.
What stands out is the kind of praise Kapoor is getting. Viewers are not talking about a loud or showy performance. They are talking about calm, stillness and emotional depth, which fits the character of Rama as a figure defined by duty and restraint rather than display. That restraint, according to the early responses, is what makes his scenes land.
Yash’s Ravana is the loudest talking point
On the other side of the conflict, Yash’s Ravana is being described as magnetic, superb and the film’s biggest highlight. The same journalist who called Kapoor sublime called Yash magnetic, and reviewer Venky Reviews, who was otherwise mixed about the film, still singled out Yash’s introduction portions as superb.
This matters because Ravana is not a simple villain in this telling. The trailer material has already shown him as a ruler whose ambition reaches far beyond his own kingdom, and the premiere reactions suggest Yash plays that scale without losing the character’s menace. If the film’s central clash works, it works because both ends of it are strong, and the early word is that Yash holds up his end completely.
Sai Pallavi’s Sita and the rest of the cast
Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, has also drawn warm praise in the Ramayana first reactions. Pinkvilla‘s roundup of early responses notes that audiences appreciated her grace, expressive performance and screen presence, while other viewers described Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as solid as Ram and Sita.
The wider cast completes the picture. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman, and the ensemble also includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Kajal Aggarwal. The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari from a screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan, produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, with music by Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman.
The cliffhanger ending has everyone talking
One detail that keeps surfacing in the Ramayana first reactions is the ending. The viewer who compared the film to The Lord of the Rings wrote that when the screen went black at the end, he shouted “no” because there is a second part still to come. That cliffhanger is doing exactly what a first chapter should do: it leaves the audience wanting the next instalment rather than feeling the story is finished.
Part 1 is reported to cover Rama’s early life and marriage to Sita through the 14-year exile, ending with Sita’s abduction, while the war for Lanka belongs to Part 2, planned for Diwali 2027. The premiere audience’s reaction to the cliffhanger suggests that structure is working, even for viewers who had criticisms elsewhere.
Not everyone walked out fully convinced
The Ramayana first reactions are not uniformly glowing, and that honesty makes them more believable. Venky Reviews offered a mixed assessment, writing that the film prioritises spectacle over emotional storytelling, and that the second half drags in places because of lengthy action sequences. The same reviewer felt the Indian-Hollywood blend in the music by A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer largely backfires and ends up feeling like neither.
Other early viewers echoed that note of caution, questioning whether the film’s emotional weight always fully translates on screen despite the grandeur. These are first impressions from a premiere audience, not final verdicts, but they do suggest the film’s biggest risk: that its visual ambition could sometimes run ahead of its storytelling.
What this means for the 5 November release
So what should audiences take from the Ramayana first reactions? The picture is of a film that delivers on scale, visuals and star performances, with Yash’s Ravana and Ranbir Kapoor’s Rama leading the praise, while questions remain about pacing, music and emotional depth. That is a strong starting position for a film releasing worldwide on 5 November 2026 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version also prepared.
Tickets are already on sale, and the film will play in standard screens as well as IMAX and premium large formats. With advance bookings open and the first reactions now public, the conversation around Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is only going to grow louder in the week before release. If the full reviews match the premiere mood, Nitesh Tiwari’s epic could open as one of the biggest Indian releases of the year.
Frequently asked questions
When is Ramayana releasing in theatres? Ramayana: Rise of a Legend releases worldwide in cinemas on 5 November 2026, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version also prepared.
Who plays Rama, Sita and Ravana in Ramayana? Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman and Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman.
Where did the Ramayana first reactions come from? The first reactions came from the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles on 27 October 2026, at the David Geffen Theater inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Are the Ramayana first reactions the same as full reviews? No. These are first impressions shared by premiere viewers on social media. Full critic reviews will follow closer to the film’s release.
What does Ramayana Part 1 cover? Part 1 is reported to cover Rama’s early life and marriage to Sita through the 14-year exile, ending with Sita’s abduction. The war for Lanka belongs to Part 2, planned for Diwali 2027.
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