Opinion | Real Deal: Ramayana - Can Bollywood Do Justice To India’s Greatest Epic?

From Adipurush to Chhaava and Kalki 2898 AD, Bollywood has learnt some hard lessons about mythological and historical films. Can Ramayana get the storytelling, right?

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Few films begin with as much goodwill—and as much pressure—as Ramayana.

Its characters are already loved, its story has travelled across generations, and its place in Indian culture needs no introduction. The challenge for Bollywood is not to make the epic bigger, but to make a film worthy of it.

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Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part One, scheduled for release on November 5, 2026, brings together Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana. The cast is formidable, the expectations immense. But a famous story, a star cast and a big budget do not guarantee a memorable film. Even the gods, one suspects, cannot rescue a weak script.

India’s epics offer filmmakers a wealth of material: family conflict, difficult choices, loyalty, ambition and sacrifice. Yet recent films, from Adipurush to Chhaava and Kalki 2898 AD, show how differently that inheritance can translate to the screen.

Knowing The Story Is Not Enough

Adipurush (2023) had plenty going for it. It drew on the Ramayana, starred Prabhas and promised a grand visual retelling. Yet criticism of its visual effects, character designs and dialogue soon overshadowed the excitement surrounding its release. The makers later announced changes to the dialogue.

The film illustrated how difficult it can be to adapt a story audiences already know intimately. Viewers bring their own understanding of its characters and expectations of how the epic should be treated.........

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