Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious adaptation of the Indian epic ‘Ramayana‘ has remained in the spotlight ever since its first teaser was unveiled earlier this year. With the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer set to arrive in cinemas worldwide this Thursday, November 5, the film’s lead actor and co-producer Namit Malhotra have finally addressed the months of trolling, memes and online criticism surrounding the project.During an interaction with students at an IIMUN event, Ranbir spoke about how he views the criticism directed at the film and said that one should not allow online reactions to affect them. The actor, who essays the role of Lord Rama, said, “What’s relevant today is this beauty of trolling online. It goes back to the good ol’ song ‘Kuchh to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna’. I think that’s a great philosophy to actually follow in life. Don’t be bothered by what people are saying. What matters is the people who matter, the people who care for your work, your intention, and your kindness. That’s what matters the most,”Director Nitesh Tiwari also shared his perspective on the criticism, adding, “If your conscience is clear, and if our effort was hundred per cent, then what else do you need?”Interestingly, Ranbir’s reference to the song ‘Kuchh To Log Kahenge’ also brings back memories of his 2018 film ‘Sanju’, directed by Rajkumar Hirani. In the biographical drama based on actor Sanjay Dutt’s life, Ranbir’s character is advised by his father, played by Sunil Dutt, to follow the philosophy of the song. Written by Anand Bakshi, the track featured in Shakti Samanta’s 1972 romantic film ‘Amar Prem’.Meanwhile, Namit Malhotra, who is backing the epic through Prime Focus, has also spoken about the social media reactions to ‘Ramayana’ in a recent international interview. Rather than letting the memes and criticism bother him, the producer said he has learnt to laugh along with them.“Honestly, after a point, I’ve started laughing at it because it’s meant for humour. All these people just want to have fun at someone’s expense. Today, it’s me. Tomorrow, it’ll be someone else. They just need someone in the news today to make fun of. The best in the world are getting trolled today. So, I just take it in the stride and enjoy it because how often do you get that opportunity?,” said Malhotra.The producer also pointed out that the film has received considerable appreciation alongside the negative reactions, and he is choosing to accept both. Drawing a parallel with Lord Rama’s journey, he added, “As Lord Rama said famously in the film, if I was happy to take the crown, I’ll take exile with the same ease because that’s what life is, that’s what our destiny is. I’d have to take the good and the bad together, and that’s what you learn from it,”The film recently held its world premiere at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, California. With the international review embargo now lifted, early reactions have been mixed, with some critics praising its scale and visual spectacle while others have raised questions about its characterisation and execution.IndieWire offered a positive assessment of the film’s elaborate storytelling and visual elements, writing, “There are enough wars, musical numbers, “Gladiator”-style arena contests, talking eagles, lavish Indian weddings, Shakespearean feuds, da Vinci-esque flying machines, and shape-shifting to satisfy even the most attention span-challenged viewers,”The publication further highlighted the film’s numerous dramatic moments and its music, adding, “Ramayana contains dozens of moments that would each be the climax of another film. It seems like every single scene features someone learning their destiny, meeting their true love, succumbing to their worst temptation, or winning their toughest battle. And each moment is scored with appropriate musical majesty by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman, the former of which is lending his talents to an Indian film for the first time,”However, IGN was less impressed with the film’s treatment of its central characters. Commenting on Ranbir Kapoor‘s Rama and Sai Pallavi’s Sita, the review stated, “Much like Kapoor’s Rama, Pallavi’s Sita is graceful in posture, but there’s little underlying either of them as actual human beings,”It also criticised the action sequences and comic elements, adding, “The fantasy fights lack the necessary physical and emotional weight to make a lasting impact, even before Rama’s fellow exiled brother Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey) delivers his umpteenth comic quip met by awkward dead air, adding to the Marvel-ness of it all.”Screen Rant, meanwhile, praised the performances of Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi but felt that the characters could have been explored in greater depth. Its review stated, “Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi excel in the more action-packed moments, and do bring a lot of charm to the handful of scenes that expand on their characters. However, they (and most of the movie’s characters) are rooted so thoroughly in their embodiment of their mythological selves that they don’t always feel fully human. The exception to this is Yash as the antagonistic Ravana, who actually gets a fascinating focus in the film’s first act. Growing into a fearsome king whose dueling ideologies of revenge and restraint are embodied by avatars of himself within his mind, Ravana has the kind of clear personality that could have fleshed out the rest of the cast.”Apart from Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, the film features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Shobana as Kaikesi, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, Vivek Oberoi as Vidyuthjiva and Anupam Kher as Jatayu.Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘Ramayana’ is co-produced by Prime Focus and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, with Namit Malhotra backing the ambitious cinematic adaptation.
