Actor Ranbir Kapoor has responded to criticism of the VFX in his upcoming film Ramayana, taking a swipe at those he called “CG critics”. The 43-year-old actor said a “new phenomenon” has developed in recent years, with people increasingly commenting on computer-generated imagery despite having little or no expertise in the field.
His comments came after the teaser and trailer for the two-part epic faced criticism online over their visual effects. Producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari also defended the film’s technical work, arguing that the footage was being viewed under unsuitable conditions, that the VFX was still incomplete and that the project had proved to be one of the most technically challenging undertaken by DNEG, Malhotra’s Oscar-winning VFX company.
Speaking to Collider, Ranbir said it was amusing to see people assume that elaborate visual effects could simply be produced instantly using AI.
He explained that creating computer-generated imagery involves countless hours of work by artists over several years. Ranbir recalled seeing Tiwari and Malhotra participate in VFX discussions from the beginning of the project, including efforts to perfect seemingly minor details such as the colour of the sky.
What Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari said
Producer Namit Malhotra said audience reactions can be very different when the same footage criticised on mobile phones is viewed in an IMAX 3D theatre.
He argued that viewers were assessing the film under poor viewing conditions despite the team investing millions of dollars in creating an experience intended for the big screen.
Malhotra described much of the online VFX discussion as noise and said the team had been attempting to encourage creators and influencers to assess the visuals more fairly based on how they were intended to be experienced.
Citing Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey as an example, he noted that some films are specifically designed to be experienced on formats such as 70mm IMAX.
Malhotra said technical details could not be accurately judged on displays that fail to reproduce the intended picture and sound quality. He stressed that audiences could watch the film wherever they wanted, but argued that criticism of its visuals should be based on actually experiencing the intended presentation.
Director Nitesh Tiwari said the team was still completing the final VFX work and described the process as an extremely challenging undertaking.
According to Tiwari, some sequences took between two-and-a-half and three years to develop. Addressing the criticism, he said that when someone is determined to find faults, even the strongest work can be overlooked while minor mistakes receive disproportionate attention.
Malhotra said the team was generally satisfied with the VFX but acknowledged that Ramayana had become one of the most demanding projects undertaken by DNEG.
He noted that the company had previously worked on several prestigious and technically challenging productions and had won multiple Oscars, but said the scale and complexity of Ramayana had surpassed those projects in several respects.
DNEG, the British visual effects company owned by Prime Focus, has won eight Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. Its Oscar-winning films include Inception, Interstellar, Tenet, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, First Man and the first two Dune films.
Malhotra also emphasised that the VFX work was still incomplete, saying this was normal when marketing campaigns begin several months before a film’s theatrical release.
He explained that when promotional material is released six to eight months ahead of a film’s release, the production or post-production work is usually still underway. According to him, the reason the film is not being released immediately is precisely because the work is still being completed.
What the trailer showed
The first full trailer for Ramayana was released on July 30 at 4.15 am during Brahma Muhurat. The four-minute-nine-second trailer provided a longer look at Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita, while establishing the central conflict between the two characters.
The trailer began with Ravana’s introduction and featured glimpses of Lanka, his Pushpak Vimaan and his rise to power.
It then introduced Ram through scenes showing him on horseback and alongside King Dasharatha, played by Arun Govil, and Kaikeyi, portrayed by Lara Dutta.
The trailer also featured Ram and Sita’s wedding, Kaikeyi’s decision that sends Ram, Sita and Lakshman into exile, and scenes involving Shurpanakha, played by Rakul Preet Singh.
Ravi Dubey was shown as Lakshman. Sunny Deol, who plays Hanuman, did not appear in the trailer, although several other members of the ensemble cast were featured.
The film’s music has been composed by AR Rahman in collaboration with Hans Zimmer.
Cast and release plan
Co-produced by Prime Focus and Yash’s Monster Mind Works, Ramayana is planned as a two-part film series. The first instalment is scheduled to arrive in cinemas during Diwali this year, with the second part planned for release next year.
The cast includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Indra Krishnan as Sumitra, Vivek Oberoi as Vidythjiva, Shobana as Kaikesi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara and Anupam Kher as the voice of Jatayu, among others.
