Ramayana: Making a selection of a film to watch can be difficult. Audiences want to use trustworthy, reliable resources before they choose a film, and with a new release hitting the screens every week, that can be difficult. It’s easy to get excited about a trailer, but not always indicative of what the story, performances or the entire film experience will be like. This is where movie reviews come in handy.
The Times of India (TOI) has a specific category for movie reviews on Bollywood, Hollywood and regional films. Its movie review page gathers data on the latest movies such as critic ratings, cast details, movies’ genre and release data and so on. Readers can watch movies in various Indian languages and English-language movies from a single place.
The site can be helpful for those who want to stay informed on the latest releases, read critics’ reviews, and compare reviews to make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase a movie ticket for a theatre or pick a film to stream.
A Story Rooted in Indian Mythology
The story is based on the popular Indian epic Ramayana by Valmiki. It introduces viewers to a world inhabited by powerful gods, warriors, demons and supernatural beings.
It starts with its storyline, setting the background of the greater war between Devas and Asuras. The powerful Ravana, or as he is called Dashanan, is the antagonist who wants to take control of the three worlds. The known order of the cosmos is under threat due to his extraordinary abilities and his ambitions.
The gods realise Ravana is not to be conquered by the traditional supernatural methods. God Vishnu thus incarnates as Prince Rama in the family of the king of Ayodhya.
Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, and his mission has relevance to a bigger war between good and evil. The movie also presents Sita (Sai Pallavi) and Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey). Their interactions and characters add to the emotional tone of the narrative.
The movie is not about haste toward the central action but takes a lot of time to establish its mythology, characters, and supernatural world. This allows the story to have a wide base, but may make it hard to follow the background information for those who have no familiarity with the epic.
Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi Lead the Cast
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend garnered a lot of buzz prior to its release. The film has assembled a cast of varied actors from across the Indian film industry, which helps in making the film a hit.
Ranbir Kapoor as Rama
Ranbir Kapoor plays the role of Prince Rama who is related to responsibility, discipline and righteousness. His acting centres on brave and serene qualities of the character. He has to find the right balance between a mythological figure and the humanistic side of a film hero.
Yash as Ravana
However, Yash portrays the main antagonist Ravana (aka Dashanan). He is described as a great king who has wide ambitions. The film devotes a good amount of attention to his presence in the movie, and he is also quite strong supernaturally; thus, he is an integral part of its big action scenes.
Sai Pallavi as Sita
Sai Pallavi plays the role of Princess Sita. Her character adds to the emotional and romantic aspects of the story. The movie also grants her warrior-like powers, and she is a relatively active presence in the action scenes.
Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana
Ravi Dubey plays Lakshmana, Rama’s younger brother. His character brings loyalty, energy and a little bit of fun into the main team of heroes. In the supporting cast are Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Indira Krishnan as Kaushalya and Kunal Kapoor as Indra.
Visual Effects and Action Are Major Highlights
One of the most impressive features of the Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is its scale in the visual representation. The film establishes a vast mythological world with giant palaces, creatures from other worlds, magical weapons, strange landscapes and fantastical flying machines.
The film’s imaginative visual presentation is to be noted, in the words of Simon Dillon. The first scenes present to the audience the grand scale of the conflict and the fantastic creatures that appear: a memorable winged elephant. These are the moments that set the tone for what the film is going to be like.
The action scenes are also inspired by fantasy and adventure filmmaking around the world. They are able to mix large-scale combat with aspects of Indian mythological film.
But this is not true visual effects throughout; The computer-generated imagery can be too much sometimes, Dillon says. The production is impressive, but some of the scenes could have been shot with more subtle means. Despite these drawbacks, the movie is visually engaging and helps to hold the audience’s attention.
Music and Background Score Add to the Experience
Another important thing to note about the movie is its music. The project also includes a collaboration between A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, who are both renowned for their unique musical styles.
The background score enhances the film’s dramatic tone, particularly in battle scenes and during significant mythological scenes. It delivers a lively presentation to help mitigate the length of the runtime.
Dillon says the music is one of the things that he liked best about the film. The score helps to support the presentation and builds momentum to the story. In a mythological production of this magnitude, music is very much on the agenda. It should be able to capture emotion in scenes, but also add more impact in large action sequences. It should be able to convey emotion in scenes and enhance action in large scenes.
What does Simon Dillon’s review tell you about the film?
According to the November 12, 2026 review by Simon Dillon, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is “grand, over-the-top and sometimes less than subtle but never dull. The beginning part of the review is noteworthy. In the initial scenes of the film, the characters of the various mythological beings are introduced, and many background details are given. The viewers who do not know the Ramayana, may require some time for them to understand the various relationships and conflicts. After the middle plot of the story becomes clearer, though, the movie transforms into a fun fantasy adventure.
One other thing that Dillon mentions is that at times, Rama can be less relatable because of his exceptional virtue. Lakshmana adds another character to a balanced ensemble of central cast members. The review also mentions the effect of a number of major fantasy and action films from other countries have had on the film’s image. The critic was impressed by the overall experience, although it was quite a long and sometimes overlong one, and said he’d like to see the second part of the show.
What could have been better?
The movie has its flaws, even if it is on a massive scale. It is a long movie, which can be difficult for those who like shorter, faster plots. The vast mythological world that is opened can also make the first half confusing, especially for viewers who haven’t seen the tales before.
Some scenes are dramatic, using lots of effects or visuals, more than relying on subtle storytelling. The film should also have been lighter with some more fun to balance out all the seriousness. However, these are not all the show’s weaknesses, as the entertainment is not seriously impacted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Who is the director of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend?
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is directed by Nitesh Tiwari. Shridhar Raghavan has co-written its screenplay.
Q2. Who acts as Rama in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend?
Ranbir Kapoor acts as Rama, the Prince, in the mythological fantasy movie.
Q3. Who is Ravana in the movie?
Yash acts as Ravana, who is also referred to as ‘Dashanan.’
Q4. Who is Sita in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend?
Sai Pallavi plays Princess Sita, the main character in the film.
Q5. Is Ramayana: Rise of a Legend a two-part film?
Yes. This is the first instalment of the Ramayana series.
