Entertainment · Indian Cinema · 14 hrs ago
Ram Gopal Varma Praises Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana After Watching It Twice
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma praised Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana after watching it twice.
He said he was judging it as a filmmaker and filmgoer, not as a religious devotee.
Varma called the film a new standard for Indian cinema and argued that its scale and ambition give it emotional force.
He singled out Yash’s portrayal of Ravana as especially powerful, and said the character becomes the story’s centre of gravity.
Varma also defended Ranbir Kapoor’s restrained portrayal of Ram, arguing that the character is defined by what he holds back.
He credited director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra with attempting something unprecedented in Indian cinema.
His review counters criticism that the film lacks emotional depth, but the available information gives no details about what happens next.
Ram Gopal Varma praised Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana after watching the film twice.
Varma called the film a new standard for Indian cinema and said films released after November 5 would be measured against it.
He highlighted Yash’s portrayal of Ravana, saying the character became the gravitational centre of Rama’s story.
Varma defended Ranbir Kapoor’s restrained portrayal of Ram against criticism that he showed little emotion.
He also praised the film’s scale, visual sequences and score by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman.
- Who
- Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma reviewed Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana.
- What
- He praised the film after watching it twice, highlighting its scale, performances and ambition.
- When
- He posted his review on X on Wednesday; the articles were published November 9 and November 11, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Varma said he was assessing the film as a filmmaker and film watcher, not as a devotee.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Varma said films made after this date would be measured against Ramayana.
NDTV published its report on Varma’s praise for the film.
Indian Express published Varma’s detailed review after he watched the film for a second time.
- Film
- Ramayana
- Director
- Nitesh Tiwari
- Producer
- Namit Malhotra
- Ravana
- Portrayed by Yash
- Ram
- Portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor
- Score
- Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman
3 sources
What people are saying
Yash’s Ravana is not a performance of the year, but it is of many decades.
In short, there’s no Rama without Ravana.
Ram is defined by what he withholds and not by what he expresses.
the soul is in the scale and the emotion is in the humongous ambition of all the wonderfully talented people behind the making of this film