The countdown has officially begun for the release of one of India’s greatest epics to come alive once again on screen, Ramayana. The mythological saga has been adapted in numerous formats over the years, but what makes Nitesh Tiwari’s latest film highly anticipated is the massive scale and budget on which it has been mounted.
Led by Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana, the film has stirred incredible buzz over the last few weeks. With two days to go until release, and promotions in full swing, the excitement has only doubled. However, the film has been embroiled in a host of controversies for several years now, with some rumours dating back as far as 2021.
From Kareena Kapoor refuting claims of having been offered the role of Sita but rejecting it due to salary negotiations, to Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘big beef fan’ comment from an old interaction being revisited over his sattvic diet claim for Lord Ram, controversies have only multiplied.
Here’s a look at the most talked-about ones:
1) AR Rahman’s Music Compositions Met With Backlash
Starting with the most recent controversies surrounding Ramayana, fans weren’t impressed with the songs Mangal Rang and Ravana Tandav. Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman, who has collaborated with the legendary Hans Zimmer, faced intense scrutiny.
Portions of Mangal Rang, a song which celebrates Lord Ram’s return to Ayodhya, were criticised for having Sufi-inspired tunes and a ‘qawwali’ touch. It was accused of not maintaining the sanctity of a core Hindu epic and the essence of a traditional narrative.
While some expected a sound more closely associated with Sanatan Dharma, others expressed disappointment with the electronic treatment of the Ravana Tandav sequence, saying it lacked the intensity they had anticipated.
AR Rahman has responded to the criticism surrounding the music of Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.
Quoting Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, Rahman said, “If you want to satisfy everyone, go sell ice cream.”
In an interview with Screen, Rahman spoke about his creative process and explained why he does not believe in judging a composition too quickly.
According to the composer, a piece of music often requires time and several rounds of consideration before it reaches its final form.
He also revealed that he is usually his own first critic.
“I am my first critic. It is not that I just love everything I do. We don’t decide something in a day. We live with it for months sometimes. There’s a thought process,” he said.
2) VFX And AI Criticism
When the first teaser of Ramayana was unveiled months ago, there were a lot of judgements passed on the VFX and AI usage in the film. Audiences were of the opinion that many frames and backgrounds looked cheap in quality and heavily AI-generated.
A BTS video was released to counter the negative comments and show the real physical sets and effort put into building the world of Ramayana, but even that backfired.
Recently, Yash, who plays Ravana, asked viewers to watch the film with an “open mind” instead of looking for “small faults” in its visual effects or other aspects. Yash also spoke about the money and effort Namit Malhotra has put into making the film for audiences around the world.
Yash said, “I’ll request you all one thing. Namit Malhotra has gambled it. Trust me, he has put his reputation, his money, everything at stake to put this film on a global platform. Ultimately, cinema will be something which everybody will, if they like it, talk about.”
“One thing I’ll tell you, please don’t try to find small faults of VFX, this, that. It will never happen again. If we lose people like him now, it will take more years, we’ll go back.”
Makers even stated that this is meant for an IMAX 3D screening.
3) Sai Pallavi’s Intense Scrutiny As Sita
Ever since the trailer of Ramayana was dropped on July 20, Sai Pallavi has faced incessant judgement over her casting as Sita. Be it beauty standards, her screen presence, or, more broadly, her Hindi accent, viewers have not been convinced. Somewhere, the North vs South debate also entered the conversation.
A more distinct discussion was around her hair texture as Sita, with viewers questioning whether the latter’s hair was wavy at all. There was an uproar over the film’s costume design and the look of the blouse, where wardrobe historians and conservative factions questioned its cultural and historical accuracy. Others shared memes comparing Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi to characters from popular television serials.
Speaking about the scrutiny, costume designer Rimple said, “We knew conversations and comparisons were inevitable. An epic like the Ramayana has lived in our collective consciousness for generations. There will always be opinions about the casting, costumes, visual effects, and what people believe is right or wrong. We were prepared for that. What has kept us grounded is our honesty towards our craft.”
Addressing criticism surrounding Sita’s blouse, Rimple explained that the decision was a conscious one and rooted in her personal understanding of the character.
“When I close my eyes and think of Goddess Sita, I don’t think about archaeological authenticity. I wanted my Goddess, the one sitting in my mandir, to look like the image that has lived in my consciousness. That was a deliberate choice,” she said.
Sai Pallavi also faced severe boycott trends after an old interview clip resurfaced regarding comparisons between religious violence and political or military conflicts. Social media users were of the opinion that this made Sai Pallavi insensitive and unfit to play Goddess Sita.
4) Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Big Beef Fan’ Comment And Diet Accusations
There has been a lot of criticism around Ranbir Kapoor being cast as Lord Rama in Ramayana due to old interviews and the way the character is being portrayed, as seen in the film’s first look.
A 2011 interview of Ranbir Kapoor had gone viral in which he called himself a “big beef fan”. Audiences felt that made him inappropriate to play the role of a Hindu deity.
He had said, “My family is from Peshawar, so a lot of Peshawari food has come with them. I am a mutton, paya, and beef fan. Yeah, I am a big beef fan.”
What further fuelled the criticism were reports that Ranbir Kapoor had adopted a sattvic lifestyle before family Christmas lunch videos surfaced. Audiences then criticised what they viewed as a false ‘pious’ image being projected for the film’s marketing, with some saying an apology was due before he played the cultural icon.
5) Kareena Kapoor’s Alleged Salary Negotiations To Play Sita
During the early casting stages, several reports claimed that Kareena Kapoor Khan was approached to play Sita before Sai Pallavi. The actor reportedly demanded double her salary, following which the deal fell through.
Breaking her silence on the same, Kareena Kapoor Khan told Zoom, “I don’t even know why I was put into that because I wasn’t the choice for the film. These are all made-up stories, and I don’t want to put anybody down because even they need stories. Every day, people are looking for some sort of story on Instagram, but I don’t know where it came from.”
6) Dipika Chikhlia’s Initial Criticism Towards Ramayana
Dipika Chikhlia had won the hearts of audiences as Sita in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic 1987 Ramayan. In June 2024, she expressed strong disinterest in another remake of the epic.
She had said, “I am quite disillusioned by people who keep making Ramayan because… they want to bring in a new story, a new angle, a new look.”
When the teaser of Nitesh Tiwari’s epic dropped, she struck a different tone. Reacting to the teaser in a conversation with India Today, the actress appreciated the film’s scale and presentation.
She said, “I watched the teaser and it’s very grand. Bahut rich lag raha hai. Unhone bahut achhe se banaya hai. So now I’m awaiting the film and it’s looking very beautiful, there’s no doubt about it.”
7) Mukesh Chhabra’s Ravana Remark
During a 2024 podcast with Ranveer Allahbadia, Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director of Ramayana, shared his opinion on the film’s primary antagonist, Ravana, reiterating that his actions were driven by love.
He had said, “He wanted revenge, but he was in love as well. As far as I understand Raavan, he was evil and vengeful, but his revenge was driven by love for his sister. Both Ram and Raavan were right in their own ways… Dono pyaar mein the.”
This led to widespread backlash and a heated discussion over what many viewed as a misinterpretation of the character.
Mukesh Chhabra later issued an apology, stating, “I’ve been made aware that one of my statements during an interview has caused a controversy and hurt people’s sentiments. This was never my intention or meant that way. I would like to sincerely apologise to everybody and withdraw my statement.”
8) The Series Of Legal Disputes
There were two major legal disputes that Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana became embroiled in.
One arose when a public notice was issued by production company Allu Mantena Media Ventures LLP (Madhu Mantena), stating that it owned the rights to the Project Ramayana script and related material. The company claimed that negotiations had been held with Prime Focus Technologies Limited to acquire the rights by April 2024, but those discussions failed. This was followed by a warning that use of the script without the dues being cleared could amount to copyright infringement.
The other issue revolved around concerns raised by the makers over trailer footage allegedly being leaked online despite strict invite-only previews and non-disclosure agreements.
This is as recent as November 2026, when Godpower Media Private Limited (holding the domestic and territorial IP exploitation rights) approached the Bombay High Court for the same.
On Monday, the Bombay High Court passed a dynamic ad-interim injunction to protect the film from unauthorised recording, hosting, distribution or streaming ahead of its release.
As per Bar & Bench, Justice Jamdar noted, “Prima facie, plaintiff (Godpower) has real and well-founded apprehension that the film or parts of it will be recorded and uploaded, streamed, or communicated to the public on various platforms…”
10) Protests And Threat Letters
There was also a threat letter sent to Nitesh Tiwari by Arjun Kumar, president of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, demanding a screening of Ramayana. This was in light of the severe backlash that the 2023 film Adipurush had faced over allegations of hurting religious sentiments. The special screening was meant for Hindu organisations and Ramlila committees to vet the film’s content.
Further warnings stated that Ranbir Kapoor was not suitable for the role of Lord Rama and that bypassing the demands would lead to nationwide protests.
As the film is just two days away from release, there have been countless reasons, both positive and negative, behind the anticipation for one of the greatest epics in Indian cinema. It’s about time.
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