New Delhi: Nitesh Tiwari revealed the first glimpse of actor Ranbir Kapoor as Ram in his upcoming film Ramayana. The two-and-a-half-minute offers a window into the grand world of the two-part epic, produced by Namit Malhotra, and based on Valmiki’s epic of the same name.
“Whenever the world descends into chaos, he is always the answer. Ruling our hearts for over 5,000 years – our protector, our hero, the legend,” reads the teaser as the first glimpse of Ram is shown.
Kapoor, who headlines the film as Ram, is seen in multiple avatars — as a king, the ideal son, a warrior, and a righteous man.
“We celebrate the greatest of all time — Maryada Purushottam Rama,” the trailer read.
The makers chose to coincide the teaser release for Hanuman Jayanti. The trailer focuses entirely on Kapoor, without revealing any deatils about the other characters or actors.
“Ram is the greatest of all time because he lived a life where the choices he made were always in the benefit of the greater good, duty over desire, and sacrifice over self. His legacy continues to enhance and empower humanity over time and bring the belief in the goodness of the human spirit to resolve all conflict and bring peace to the world,” wrote Malhotra in the caption for the teaser.
It had already been released in Los Angeles on 31 March.
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Social media reactions
The teaser has elicited mixed reactions from viewers. Most of the comments are directed at the VFX and visuals, which were created by the eight-time Academy Award-winning studio DNEG, in collaboration with Monster Mind Creations.
“Some of these shots are too polished and look like AI,” commented one Instagram user below Malhotra’s post.
Another wrote,” I can create the same for free. Why Rs 4000 crores?” referring to the mammoth budget of the two films.
“Mixed feelings. Underwhelming. Expected better. I remember your conversation with Sadhguru, one of the best. Expected that more than the VFX, which looks cartoonish, and this again makes the world believe that it was just an imaginary story. Could be more philosophically focused and grounded,” another commented.
The first look of the movie was released a year ago, and showed the grand scale of the film. But there was also an immediate backlash over an old comment by Kapoor about eating beef, as people raised questions about him playing the role of the Hindu deity. During a promotional event for the film in New York, Kapoor also mentioned how he had initially refused the role, as he considered himself unfit to play Ram.
“Ram has been the conscience keeper of billions of people around the globe for centuries. He enlightens us about the triumph of the human spirit. He stands for compassion, courage, righteousness, and forgiveness, and is called Maryada Purushottam, which represents the ideal man,” Kapoor said.
And while some have come to terms with Kapoor’s castings, others are still unhappy with the casting choice.
“Nah, that face of his is not made for such a serene role. It is what it is; that flirty look and that face are just not it. Rama had a face of peace and divine, but this is just not giving it,” read one comment.
Others still were more interested in the fleeting glimpse of the villain of the story, Ravan, toward the end of the teaser.
“The glimpse of Ramayana is absolutely stunning 10/10. But Ravan’s entry with that BGM completely steals the show,” one social media user said.
Part one of the series is scheduled to release on Diwali this year. Ramayana also features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Laxman, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Yash as Ravan.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)