4 min readMumbaiJul 2, 2026 02:34 PM IST
Earlier this week, it was reported that Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor, is the most-awaited Indian film of 2026. Given its massive scale, reported budget, and the expectations riding on it, the anticipation is hardly surprising. While the makers are yet to unveil the film’s teaser or trailer, they earlier this year released a promotional glimpse introducing Ranbir Kapoor’s look as Lord Rama.
However, the promotional asset received a mixed-to-negative response online, with many viewers expressing disappointment over what they felt were underwhelming visual effects. The criticism was particularly notable as the film’s VFX are being handled by Academy Award-winning VFX studio DNEG, led by producer Namit Malhotra. Now, content creator Dhruv Parikshit, who was invited by the makers to a special creators’ event, has claimed that the version of the glimpse released online was intentionally toned down. While he later deleted the comment, screenshot of an Instagram comment by Dhruv has gone viral on Reddit, in which he responded to a user asking whether the VFX work on the film was still incomplete.
‘Creators deliberately uploaded a nerfed version’
He wrote, “Yes, it was incomplete. But the vision they have… I genuinely can’t put it into words. The scenes I witnessed there were on the level of AVATAR. I’m not exaggerating, they’re truly cooking something WONDERFUL. The character designs and the world of Ramayana feel incredibly immersive.”
He further added, “Bhai Mai literally pagal hogya tha characters ko dekh kar, (I literally went crazy after seeing the characters) especially Parshurama, Indra and his Airavata. I also got a chance to talk to one of their VFX artists. He told me that the creators deliberately uploaded a nerfed version of the Rama glimpse. They already had better versions of those scenes, yet they intentionally chose to release the incomplete one. Why? Because discussions, debates and criticism across the internet translate into free marketing.”
Also Read | ‘Akshaye Khanna said Dhurandhar fandom too shall pass’: Siddharth P Malhotra on Ikka
A top-notch product
Previously, Yash, who plays Ravana in the film and is also one of its producers, addressed the online discussion surrounding the VFX during an interview with Muse TV’s YouTube channel. When the interviewer remarked that the visuals in the glimpse looked photorealistic, Yash said, “See, that’s where I think DNEG comes in. (laughs) Namit, who is my producing partner, comes in with that expertise. So, the photorealistic visuals what you’re talking…and it’s still a work in progress. I’m sure it will be even more better with the finished product. We’re really aiming at a product which is top notch.”
The actor was also asked whether he had watched a final cut of Ramayana. He revealed that he had seen a “decent version” of the film but stressed that the team is continuing to refine it. “We’re on it, but till the last minute we’ll try to better it. So, we’ve seen quite a decent version, we can say. But we’re on it. It’s exciting to put it together, believe in something and watch it on the big screen. At the end of the day, all producers and actors do it for themselves also,” said Yash.
Story continues below this ad
About Ramayana
Produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash under Prime Focus Studios and Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The ensemble cast also includes Sunny Deol, Lara Dutta, Ravi Dubey, Arun Govil, and Vivek Oberoi, among others. The epic will be released in two parts, with Part 1 scheduled to arrive in theatres on Diwali 2026, followed by Part 2 on Diwali 2027.
Ramayana Part 1 is slated to release on Diwali 2026.