The critics have had their say. Now it’s the audience’s turn, and on day one the Ramayana public review is anything but one-sided. Scroll through X and you’ll find one fan calling it the greatest Indian film ever made, and right below, another asking where the emotion went. Both of them watched the same three hours and fifteen minutes.
We went through the reactions from first-day-first-show audiences, the early premiere crowds and the loudest threads on social media, so you don’t have to doomscroll. Here’s what people are saying about Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1.
| Audiences love | Audiences are split on | Audiences complain about |
|---|---|---|
| Yash as Ravan | Ranbir Kapoor’s Ram | Emotion taking a back seat to spectacle |
| The Jatayu sequence | The music and background score | A draggy second half |
| VFX and scale | The cliffhanger ending | Rushed, episodic storytelling |
| Sunny Deol’s post-credits entry | The English version | The 195-minute runtime |
The Mood Outside Theatres: Housefull, Queues and Chants
Whatever people think of the film, nobody can say they didn’t show up. Ramayana went into release day with Bollywood’s second-best opening-day advance booking ever, and the highest ever for a non-sequel, per Koimoi’s final pre-sales report. Early shows across cities ran packed, with fans posting queues outside PVR and INOX screens before sunrise.
Inside, the reactions were loud. Even at the Los Angeles premiere, Ram’s big moments drew whistles and cheers, and back home Sunny Deol’s post-credits “Jai Shree Ram” as Hanuman is one of the most talked-about moments of the day. (We break that scene down in our Ramayana Part 1 ending explained piece.)
What Audiences Love
1. Yash’s Ravan is winning the internet
If there’s one thing almost everyone agrees on, it’s Yash. From the Los Angeles premiere audience to Indian FDFS crowds, Ravan is the most praised part of the film. Fans are throwing around phrases like “generational performance”, and many are calling him the best screen Ravan yet. The film gives him the whole first act, his rise from devotee to master of the three worlds, and audiences are clearly buying it.
2. The Jatayu sequence
Jatayu’s fight with Ravan on the Pushpak Viman is the most talked-about scene of the day. Viewers are calling it a highlight “both visually and emotionally”. For many, it’s the one moment where the film’s huge VFX budget and its heart finally line up. Anupam Kher’s voice work as the dying vulture king is getting a lot of love too.
3. The sheer scale
The Lord of the Rings comparisons are everywhere, and this time they don’t feel like marketing talk. Audiences who watched in IMAX and 3D are calling it one of the most immersive experiences Indian cinema has produced. Even people who disliked the writing admit the film looks like nothing we’ve had before.
Where Audiences Are Split
Ranbir Kapoor as Ram: This is the most interesting split. One camp says his calm, dignified Ram answers every doubt raised about his casting, and one viewer at the LA premiere said he was moved to tears. The other camp says he’s solid but that the divine aura of Maryada Purushottam doesn’t always come through. Sai Pallavi’s Sita gets similar notes: sincere and graceful, but in a film that doesn’t give her and Ram enough time together.
The music: With A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer on board, expectations were huge. Reactions are mixed. Some love the international feel of the background score, while others call it generic or forgettable in stretches. The songs had already sparked debate before release, as we covered in the Mangal Rang controversy.
The English version: International audiences watching the English cut, which is reportedly about 30 minutes shorter, say it’s the weaker version. A few viewers felt the film hits harder in Hindi.
What Audiences Don’t Like
The biggest complaint fits in one line that keeps popping up: spectacle overshadows emotion. For a story that millions of Indians feel in their bones, a lot of viewers walked out impressed but not moved. One widely shared review summed it up as a visual spectacle that fails to evoke bhakti and bhaavna.
Other recurring gripes:
- Pacing: an uneven first half and a second half that drags, with long action stretches that add little.
- Episodic storytelling: the film jumps from event to event without letting characters breathe, which some say feels “serial-like”.
- The ending: some viewers feel cheated that the biggest highs, from Hanuman to Lanka to the war, are all saved for Part 2.
5 Stars vs 2 Stars: Why the Reactions Are So Divided
Look at the ratings flying around and you’d think people watched two different films. Fan pages are handing out 4.5 and 5 stars with words like “MAGNUM OPUS” in capitals. Others, including us, are sitting at 2 or 2.5.
Our theory: it comes down to what you walked in for. If you came for the experience, the scale, the VFX, Yash and the goosebumps of seeing the Ramayan on an IMAX screen, the film delivers and then some. If you came for the story to make you feel what Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan or your grandmother’s version made you feel, it often falls short. The film assumes you already know the story, and leans on that knowledge instead of earning the emotions itself. That’s the core of our own Ramayana Part 1 review.
There’s also a growing “drop the fan war” crowd, viewers who admit the film isn’t perfect but want it to be judged as the most ambitious attempt Indian cinema has made at its biggest epic.
So, Should You Watch It?
Yes, but pick your screen wisely. Everything audiences love about Ramayana Part 1 is the stuff that works best on the biggest screen you can find. Everything they complain about won’t change whether you watch it in IMAX or on your phone. So if you’re going, go big, go in knowing it’s a spectacle first and a story second, and do not walk out before the credits finish.
Ramayana Public Review: FAQs
Is Ramayana Part 1 a hit with audiences?
The turnout is huge and the opening is massive. Word of mouth is mixed, though: strong for the visuals and Yash, weaker for the storytelling.
What is the best part of Ramayana according to audiences?
Yash’s Ravan and the Jatayu sequence, by a distance.
Is Ramayana Part 1 worth watching in IMAX or 3D?
Yes. The scale is the film’s biggest strength, and audiences who saw it in premium formats are the happiest.
More on Ramayana from EkSukoon
- Ramayana Part 1 Cast: Who Plays Whom (Full Character Guide)
- Ramayana Post-Credit Scene Explained: Sunny Deol’s Hanuman
- Ramayana Part 2 Release Date, Cast and Story
- Ramayana Part 1 Review: You’ll Love It… If You Already Know the Story
- Ramayana Part 1 Ending Explained
- Ramayana North America Pre-Sales Tracker
- Ramayana vs Godzilla: The Diwali 2026 Box Office Clash
