Varanasi

#Ramayana A Watchable Epic That Prioritizes Spectacle and Action Over Drama and Emotion! The film opens superbly with Ravana’s introduction, and the first half offers a decent experience overall despite a few dips here and there. But instead of giving enough weight and properly introducing the rest of characters, the narration moves from one event to another, making the drama feel flat and even serial like at times. The second half is where it starts to falter, with very prolonged action sequences becoming tiring before the climax briefly picks up momentum again. Even where Part 1 chooses to end feels somewhat unsatisfying, especially knowing that most of the major high points are being saved for a sequel that is still two years away. Yash is easily the biggest highlight and delivers a terrific performance as Ravana. Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi are sincere as Ram and Sita, but the divine and emotional connect never comes through consistently. Technically, the film is impressive, but Ramayana needs more than scale. AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer’s score is the biggest disappointment and often feels more like a generic superhero score than something that captures the story’s spiritual essence. Better than a few recent adaptations and definitely watchable with expectations in check, but the ambition never fully translates into lasting impact. A mixed bag that leaves you thinking about how much more it could’ve been. Rating: 2.5/5