Ramayana premiere reviews: Ashish Chanchlani, Kunal Kapoor, and others react to Ranbir Kapoor's epic

Ramayana premiere reviews: Ahead of the massive global release of Nitesh Tiwari’s epic saga Ramayana: Part 1 on November 5, the makers hosted two star-studded preview screenings in Mumbai on Tuesday—one for the cast and another for the crew. Following the exclusive watch, celebrities, actors, and content creators took to social media to share their glowing initial reviews and reactions.

Ashish Chanchlani terms it a 'historic blockbuster'

Leading the initial wave of praise, popular creator and actor Ashish Chanchlani took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a detailed review of the magnum opus, calling it a blockbuster of epic proportions.

"Ramayana is a blockbuster of truly epic proportions, delivering some of the absolute best action set pieces Indian cinema has ever seen. But beyond the breathtaking visual spectacle, the film's biggest strength is Nitesh Tiwari's astute direction. This is entirely his ship, and he sails it with supreme control," Chanchlani wrote.

Ramayana is a blockbuster of truly epic proportions, delivering some of the absolute best action set pieces Indian cinema has ever seen. But beyond the breathtaking visual spectacle, the film's biggest strength is Nitesh Tiwari's astute direction. This is entirely his ship, and he sails it with supreme control. The casting is perfection: Ranbir, Sai, and Yash all hit it completely out of the park. A special shoutout to Ravi Dubey-he absolutely smashes it as Laxman. Surprisingly the film has some wholesome humorous scenes that include him While there are minor technical hiccups along the way (a few de-aging shots in night sequences feel slightly off) but the film is edited so tightly that you barely notice. Every single risk taken by DNEG and Namit Malhotra has paid off magnificently, with each action sequence outdoing the last. Nothing is going to stop this film from becoming a historic blockbuster. My only advice is PLEASE WATCH ON THE BIGGEST SCREEN POSSIBLE Do not judge this by cheap leaks or resort to piracy-this is made for the big screen. I was sobbing in the end after the Jatayu fight scene

— Ashish Chanchlani (@ashchanchlani) November 3, 2026

He also lauded the main lead performances and highlighted Ravi Dubey’s standout portrayal of Laxman. "The casting is perfection: Ranbir, Sai, and Yash all hit it completely out of the park. A special shoutout to Ravi Dubey-he absolutely smashes it as Laxman. Surprisingly the film has some wholesome humorous scenes that include him," he shared.

Addressing the visual fidelity and scale, he added, "While there are minor technical hiccups along the way (a few de-ageing shots in night sequences feel slightly off) but the film is edited so tightly that you barely notice. Every single risk taken by DNEG and Namit Malhotra has paid off magnificently, with each action sequence outdoing the last. Nothing is going to stop this film from becoming a historic blockbuster."

Urging audiences to experience the spectacle strictly on the big screen, Chanchlani concluded, "Do not judge this by cheap leaks or resort to piracy-this is made for the big screen. I was sobbing in the end after the Jatayu fight scene."

Arjun Rampal and Ajinkya Deo react

Actor Arjun Rampal shared a poignant personal moment regarding his son's reaction to the upcoming saga, praising the filmmaking team for bringing the vision to life.

"Ram ji aaye Rampal ke ghar. My heart was overjoyed with pride and love, when my son brought home a figurine of Lord Rama, introducing him as his new favourite super hero. Tomorrow the world and a whole new generation will be introduced to the Ramayana. Thank you to this absolutely fantastic team that dreamt the dream of every artist, filmmaker's and actors who have discussed telling the story of this epic at this scale. You guys have done it. As an artist I only feel proud. Can't wait to watch it, with my whole family. Can't wait for the world to watch our story," Rampal expressed.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Arjun Rampal (@rampal72)

Marathi actor Ajinkya Deo was equally captivated after watching the first half during the premier, writing, "Just got out of the premier of Ramayana in the interval .... What a film what a film it's a grand film the visual effects the acting the sets the emotions gosh an experience in theatres not a movie it's an experience not to be missed."

Just got out of the premier of Ramayana in the interval …. What a film what a film it’s a grand film the visual effects the acting the sets the emotions gosh an experience in theatres not a movie it’s an experience not to be missed @malhotra_namit @primefocus @WorldOfRamayana

— Ajinkya Ramesh Deo (@Ajinkyad) November 3, 2026

Cast share gratitude posts

Cast members Indira Krishnan and Kunal Kapoor also shared heartfelt messages reflecting on their involvement in the cinematic milestone.

Indira Krishnan, who attended the premiere, posted photos and videos alongside a note of gratitude: "Grateful blessed and an absolute delight to be a part of Indias biggest cinema.. Graced the premier and got this podium to stand along with the talented lot. Take a bow @iamnamitmalhotra to bring this magnum opening to the world Grateful to the team @dneg. Thank u sir @niteshtiwari22 for guiding me thru this journey ur a sweetheart. All my co stars. Ranbir I missed meeting u but thank u for all the lv care and ur aura shines brighter. A spl thank u to darling @castingchhabra to stand by me. Happiness overloaded. @larabhupathi ur a gem. Thank u to my family for standing by me."

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Indira Krishna (@indirakrishna101)

Echoing similar sentiments about the vision behind the epic, Kunal Kapoor noted: "Some stories are too big to be made by people who just like them. The Ramayana needed people who love it and believe it's a story for the whole world. And I'm so glad it found them. This film pushes boundaries and makes you believe that whatever is in your imagination can actually make it to the screen, when imagination is matched by conviction. Incredibly proud to be a small part of something this ambitious."

Rishab Shetty wishes team ahead of global debut

Joining the chorus of praise, Kantara star Rishab Shetty extended his best wishes to the cast and crew on X, calling the release a proud moment for Indian cinema.

There's something truly special about seeing our timeless stories and culture brought to life on such a grand scale. A proud moment for Indian cinema! My heartfelt wishes to @thenameisyash, #RanbirKapoor, @malhotra_namit, @niteshtiwari22, @Sai_Pallavi92, @iamsunnydeol, @arrahman, @HansZimmer, @raviedubey, @Rakulpreet, @vivekoberoi, @AnupamPKher, @MsKajalAggarwal and the entire cast and crew of #Ramayana. Looking forward to witnessing this grand spectacle on the big screen. May #Ramayana create history and inspire generations! ❤️

— Rishab Shetty (@shetty_rishab) November 4, 2026

"There's something truly special about seeing our timeless stories and culture brought to life on such a grand scale. A proud moment for Indian cinema! My heartfelt wishes to @thenameisyash, #RanbirKapoor, @malhotra_namit, @niteshtiwari22, @Sai_Pallavi92, @iamsunnydeol, @arrahman, @HansZimmer, @raviedubey, @Rakulpreet, @vivekoberoi, @AnupamPKher, @MsKajalAggarwal and the entire cast and crew of #Ramayana. Looking forward to witnessing this grand spectacle on the big screen. May #Ramayana create history and inspire generations!" Shetty wrote.