The first part of Ramayana, aka Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, is currently in theaters, and the critical verdict on the ambitious Indian movie is in. Notably, Ramayana is an adaptation of the namesake Indian poem. The movie came out worldwide on November 5, 2026, ahead of the Diwali weekend.
What the critics are saying about Ramayana: Rise of a Legend
The critical consensus on Ramayana is largely positive. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in noted that this iteration of the epic is “a sleek and sumptuous Hollywood-style spectacle.”
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian also gave the movie a glowing review, writing, “This movie reminds you of the forthright, unselfconscious storytelling energy that popular Hollywood films had in the 1950s and 60s, the era of sword-and-sandal. It’s a rather amazing adventure.”
Meanwhile, Grace Randolph of Beyond the Trailer compared Ramayana to The Ten Commandments and The Lord of the Rings. “1956’s The Ten Commandments meets Lord of the Rings. An epic film that does a wonderful job bringing the legend of Ramayana to life,” Randolph shared. “Watch it in the original Hindi with subtitles – that version is top-notch.”
Nicolas Rapold of The New York Times wrote that this adaptation of the Ramayana was “respectable and respectful.” Further, Devesh Sharma of Filmfare observed that the movie is “grand in scale, rich in detail, and rooted in emotion.” Sharma continued that Ramayana “is not content with being a visual spectacle” and that “it also understands the emotional weight of the epic and, more importantly, the human relationships that lie at its heart.”
Ramayana draws a strong score on Rotten Tomatoes
At the time of this article’s composition, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend has a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes after 33 reviews. It will likely change as more reviews arrive. The final verdict, however, lies with the audience.
The second part of Ramayana will debut in theaters during Diwali 2028 (via India Today).
