The first installment of the epic film Ramayana, marked as the most expensive production in the history of Indian cinema with an estimated budget of 500 million dollars, has been officially released in theatres worldwide.
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the movie titled 'Ramayana: The Legend Begins' brings together leading Indian actors, Hollywood visual effects professionals, and two Oscar-winning composers. The second part of the saga is slated for release next year.
According to Deadline, the film generated over 55 million dollars globally during its opening weekend, with 12.2 million dollars coming from theatres across the United States. Its premiere coincided with the Diwali festival, which commemorates the return of Rama from exile and the victory of light over darkness.
Ranbir Kapoor portrays Prince Rama of Ayodhya, alongside Sai Pallavi as Sita and South Indian cinema star Yash as Ravana. Producer Namit Malhotra, head of visual effects firm DNEG, stated that he independently financed the entire project and bore the financial risks.
The score is composed through a collaboration between A. R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Reviews have been varied; while critics such as Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian and Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times praised the cinematic scale and visuals, others including Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV and Siddhant Adlakha of IGN criticized narrative balance and computer graphics.
The production has also sparked discussion regarding the use of artificial intelligence for lip-sync adjustments in the English version, alongside memories of the classic 1987 television serial. With each installment averaging 250 million dollars to produce, the project's commercial success depends heavily on attracting audiences outside India.
Source: Deadline
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