‘Ramayana Is Not A Devotional Film’: Ram Gopal Varma Reviews Ranbir Kapoor, Yash’s Film
Ram Gopal Varma has shared his take on Ramayana, joining several celebrities who have weighed in on the film. He described it as a “devotional force” and said audiences leave theatres after having lived through what he called an experience. He also asked the makers to weigh the negative criticism against the enormous labour that went into the film, comparing the detractors to stray dogs barking at an “elephantine effort”.
‘Ramayana Is Not A Devotional Film’
In his review of Ramayana on social media, Ram Gopal Varma offered an elaborate assessment of the film’s vision, performances and cinematic treatment. He said the story’s rise is not merely about a kingdom but about a mindset that challenges weakness, while describing its violence as a reflection of consequences rather than spectacle.
“The Ramayana is not a devotional film. It is a devotional force. The hero is not a blue god floating above the story. He is a man who has already seen the end of the world and still willfully chooses to walk into it,” he wrote.
He further added, “The rise is not of a kingdom. It is of a mind that challenges weakness. Every frame carries the weight of someone who has burned the old rules and is now moving only by the logic of power. The violence is not spectacle. It is the clarity of consequences.”
Varma also highlighted what he believes sets the film apart from other cinematic adaptations, saying that it does not attempt to explain itself to viewers.
“What separates this from every other cinematic telling is that in a time when most films are still wary to move, this one simply moves. It does not explain itself. That is why it hits harder than anything that has come before it. You do not leave the film having watched a story. You leave it after living an experience,” he said.
Ram Gopal Varma Praises Ranbir Kapoor, Yash And Anupam Kher
The filmmaker also singled out the performances of Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Anupam Kher, sharing his impressions of some of their key moments in the film.
He praised Ranbir Kapoor’s performance as Lord Rama in the film. “Ranbir in the sequence after Sita’s abduction, when he stands in the empty ashram and simply looks at the place where she was, the camera holds long enough to show that grief has already been converted into an arithmetic.”
He also praised Yash’s portrayal of Ravana, and wrote, “Yash does not play opposition. He plays the mind that has already accepted what it decided to destroy. In the long confrontation before the final night, when he speaks to Ram across the open ground with no army between them, he does not raise his voice. He simply states the price. The face never flinches. The body never shifts.”
Varma also lauded Anupam Kher’s performance as Jatayu, particularly during the interception of the Pushpak Vimana.
“Anupam Kher in Jatayu’s interception of the Pushpak is not an act of mere loyalty. Wings half broken, bloodied, he keeps on coming because the mind has not yet accepted what the body is telling it. When he falls, the camera stays on the face. There is no cry. There is only the last argument continuing behind the eyes after his wings have stopped. That is not sacrifice. That is a man who understood the only rule left is to continue until you cannot,” he wrote.
The #Ramayana is not a devotional film. It is a devotional force.The hero is not a blue god floating above the story. He is a man who has already seen the end of the world and still willfully chooses to walk into it. The rise is not of a kingdom. It is of a mind that challenges weakness. Every frame carries the weight of someone who has burned the old rules and is now moving only by the logic of power . The violence is not spectacle. It is the clarity of consequences What separates this from every other cinematic telling is that In a time when most films are still wary to move , this one simply moves. It does not explain itself. That is why it hits harder than anything that has come before it. You do not leave the film having watched a story. You leave it after living an experience Ranbir In the sequence after Sita’s abduction, when he stands in the empty ashram and simply looks at the place where she was, the camera holds long enough to show that grief has already been converted into a arithmetic Yash does not play opposition. He plays the mind that has already accepted what it decided to destroy. In the long confrontation before the final night, when he speaks to Ram across the open ground with no army between them, he does not raise his voice. He simply states the price. The face never flinches. The body never shifts. @AnupamPkher in Jatayu’s interception of the pushpak is not an act of mere loyalty. Wings half broken, bloodied, he keeps on coming because the mind has not yet accepted what the body is telling it. When he falls, the camera stays on the face. There is no cry. There is only the last argument continuing behind the eyes after his wings have stopped. That is not sacrifice. That is a man who understood the only rule left is to continue until you cannot. All in all I want to say this to each and everyone of all the greats who collaborated to make this great film is to treat any and all negative critics of this film as barking street dogs against the elephantine effort you all put in to create this magnifique piece of WONDER🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) November 9, 2026
Towards the end of his review, Varma urged the makers to remain unfazed by negative criticism, praising the scale of their effort.
“All in all I want to say this to each and everyone of all the greats who collaborated to make this great film is to treat any and all negative critics of this film as barking street dogs against the elephantine effort you all put in to create this magnifique piece of WONDER,” he wrote.
‘RGV Is Fully Sold On It’
Ram Gopal Varma’s review sparked varied reactions on social media, with some users agreeing with his assessment while others expressed reservations.
One user commented, “This one was long pending !! Good one RGV gaaru.”
Another wrote, “RGV is fully sold on it. The way he’s talking about the performances and the weight of the frames makes me more curious to see how it actually lands once the noise settles.”
A third user disagreed with the filmmaker’s take, writing, “Bullshit. Even you know it. It is #Ravanayana. Have changed the fundamental character.”
“Watch Ramayana again and again,” read another comment.
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