When the director behind Baahubali comments on cinematic scale, the Indian film trade stops to listen. SS Rajamouli delivered a glowing initial verdict on director Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Part 1 as the big-budget epic arrived in theatres on Thursday. Rajamouli commended the sheer physical canvas of the production, emphasizing that Tiwari’s visual staging demands an encounter on the largest screen available.
Performances drove the core of his critique. Rajamouli zeroed in on Ranbir Kapoor’s handling of Lord Rama, pointing to the narrative pivot once the forest exile begins. "Ranbir as Rama, especially from the Vanavasam onwards, is serene yet magnificent," Rajamouli stated. He credited Kannada star Yash for injecting a sharp, brooding weight into Ravana, while noting Sai Pallavi’s composed grace as Sita.
"The pre-climax and climax... loved every bit of it," Rajamouli added, congratulating producer Namit Malhotra and Tiwari for translating an uncompromising vision to the screen. The praise follows his earlier endorsement during the promotional rollout, where he characterized the ancient epic as a foundation stone that every Indian storyteller aspires to mount.## Staging An Ancient EpicMounting a multi-part mythological feature carries immense creative peril. Scrutiny is immediate. Yet Tiwari and Malhotra staked their production on grand technical staging and pan-Indian star power to draw audiences back to multiplexes. An explicit early nod from Rajamouli delivers valuable word-of-mouth momentum across northern and southern distribution circuits during an essential opening corridor.
Rajamouli understands high-stakes cinematic gambles firsthand. The filmmaker is currently steering his next project, Varanasi, toward an April 7, 2027 theatrical release date. That production features Mahesh Babu alongside Priyanka Chopra. But as the winter theatrical calendar opens, Tiwari's retelling of the epic holds the marquee.