Ramayana teaser out: Ranbir Kapoor mesmerises as Rama, no dialogue disappoints; fans slam VFX and game-like visuals

And the wait is finally over! On the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, the makers of Ramayana unveiled the first look of actor Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama.

The teaser, which runs for over two minutes, showcases a larger-than-life setup with grand, aesthetic visuals that transport viewers back in time. It offers the first glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, highlighting key moments from the coronation to his exile in the forests of Panchavati. The actor is seen in multiple looks, wearing a crown.

Rama lifts the bow at Sita’s swayamvar. His look has been captured through several close-up shots.

There are also visuals hinting at Rama performing Jatayu’s last rites.

Yash in Ravana’s look in the flying palace, Pushpaka Vimanam

There is also a surprise element for fans, as Yash, who plays Ravana, makes a brief appearance towards the end. However, his face is not fully revealed.

The palace, Pushpaka Vimanam, is created by Vishvakarma. While it has been depicted as a flying peacock in some adaptations of Ramayana, the teaser depicts it as an intricate, lotus-shaped, flying object. Ravana seizes it from his brother and uses it to abduct Sita to Lanka. It’s also the vehicle that Rama uses to return to Ayodhya after the war, before returning it to Kubera.

Mixed reactions to Ranbir’s Ramayana

The teaser has received mixed responses from audiences. A section of fans and industry figures, including Karan Johar and Siddharth Anand, praised Ranbir’s look as Lord Ram and the film’s grand scale.

However, others criticised the heavy use of CGI and VFX, calling some sequences—particularly those featuring demons, sunsets, war scenes, and walking shots—overprocessed and artificial. Some viewers also felt that Ranbir appeared older on screen and lacked the divine aura traditionally associated with portrayals of Lord Ram in earlier films and TV shows.

That said, a section of the audience appreciated that the film does not resemble Adipurush and appears to be a more refined version. Many also pointed out that despite two teasers being released so far, there has not been a single dialogue from Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, which remains a point of curiosity among fans.

A user wrote, “Ranbir Kapoor looks a bit aged. The makers are trying to present him as younger, but it doesn’t feel convincing. He is not looking bad, but he is definitely not looking young either. Because of that, it feels slightly misfit for the role. The visuals are very good. Some shots are extremely impressive and I liked them a lot. However, if we talk about the reported ₹4000 crore budget, it feels exaggerated.The scale doesn’t fully match such a huge budget, so it feels a bit mid in terms of value. Since this is just the first look, I shouldn’t judge it too harshly yet.Overall, the first look is not bad, but it’s not extraordinary either.”

Another wrote, “The glimpse of the Character #LordRama✨ is good but there is too much VFX in other scenes But I don’t want to make any perception on the behalf of the Teaser untill I watch the Moive in theatre. So Hope for the Best.”

The third one said, “Demons graphic needs to be improved. It needs to be like Game of Thrones. Remaining looks classic..”

The fourth one mentioned, “As for the VFX, one comment read, “Is it only me who feels some frames are giving GAMING GRAPHICS?”

Budget

Ramayana has been made on a staggering budget of Rs 4,000 crore.

Speaking to Prakhar Gupta, producer Namit Malhotra revealed, “When we set out to make this six or seven years ago, people thought I was a lunatic because no Indian film comes close to this scale. Put simply, the budget will be around $500 million for both parts combined, which is over Rs 4,000 crore.”

He added, “We’re making the largest film in the world for the greatest epic that deserves to be seen globally. And yet, I believe we’re doing it more efficiently than some of the biggest Hollywood films. We’re not being irresponsible-we’re being ambitious, but grounded.”

The film is set to be released in two parts, with the first instalment scheduled to release worldwide in October 2026 ahead of Diwali, while the second part is slated for Diwali 2027.

Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey and Yash play pivotal roles in the film.