I feel like almost everyone in India knows the basic story of the Ramayana, but I was excited to see a more detailed adaptation on the big screen.

One thing I really enjoyed was how the movie fleshed out Ravana’s backstory and showed his transformation from Dashanan into Ravana. Ravana’s ten heads being portrayed as the different voices inside his head was such an interesting interpretation. You could really see the character’s arrogance, power, and internal conflict, and I can definitely see people praising Yash’s performance.

Ranbir Kapoor’s entrance as Ram was great, and I enjoyed watching his backstory, his role as an avatar of Lord Vishnu, and his courtship with Sita (Sai Pallavi). The scene that really broke me was when Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta) reminds Dashrath (Arun Govil) of the promise he made her in the Chamber of Anger, and asks for their son, Bharat, to be crowned king and Ram to be exiled for fourteen years.

Ram just agrees, being the obedient elder son that he is. No anger, no resentment, nothing. He’s genuinely such a good-hearted person, and the way his face changes throughout that scene had me emotional.

Even when Ram tells Kaikeyi that she didn’t need to go through all this drama because he would’ve willingly given the throne to Bharat anyway. And then, when he’s leaving for exile, he asks her to feed him the first bite of food when he returns, just like she used to when he was a child. I was stunned!

Also, I always thought Kaikeyi was a terrible person, but this movie made me realise she wasn’t necessarily evil. It was her handmaiden Manthara whispering poison into her ears and manipulating her into making these decisions. But what was the point of all that!? What did she even gain from it? I genuinely felt bad for Kaikeyi at times.

The brotherly bond between Ram, Lakshman, Shatrughna and Bharat was another thing I really loved. Especially when Bharat goes looking for Ram, Sita and Lakshman after their exile, and they all reunite. That whole bonding moment was so pure.

I love how much love and respect they have for each other despite everything that’s happened. And Bharat refusing to take the throne for himself, instead placing Ram’s sandals on it and ruling Ayodhya in his name, is such an important part of their relationship that I really appreciated seeing more of that brotherly love.

Ravi Dubey as Lakshman was honestly one of my favourite performances. He’s such a naturally good fit for the character, portraying that protective, fiercely loyal brother who is always ready to defend Ram and Sita. He brought some really fun moments to the movie while also delivering some genuinely intense scenes. That whole sequence with Sita, before he draws the protective boundary around her, was particularly strong.

I also really appreciated how Sita was portrayed as a capable warrior herself and not just some damsel in distress waiting to be rescued. The fight sequences were really well choreographed, and I loved seeing her have that agency.

Jatayu’s death was sad, as he was trying to save Sita. What got me was the birds that were always with Jatayu, trying to ease his fall after he was killed, and them gathering sticks for his funeral pyre.

Another little detail I found interesting was the whole Surpanakha (Rakul Preet) incident. I always thought Lakshman chopped her nose off, but this movie made it look more like a scratch. I guess even that was enough to wound her pride and beauty, which was probably the point. And of course, this whole incident is what eventually sets Ravana’s plan to abduct Sita in motion, so it was interesting.

The movie also had some cool moments, like the Indra sequence and the swimming scene. The battle with Tadaka and Subahu was exciting; I felt some of the later giant scenes started to feel a little repetitive. At the same time, I enjoyed Ram’s unlimited bow turning into multiple bows, as well as when he stands at the edge of the cliff and prays to the gods before that whole fight sequence.

Visually, this movie is beautiful. The landscapes, grand sets and scale of everything were massive. I do wish the movie had been a little more colourful in certain scenes. I will say, despite all the promotion around AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer composing the music, I didn’t really notice anything different.

The costumes were alright, but there was this one shade of blue the warriors wore early on that matched the sky so perfectly and looked absolutely gorgeous on screen.

I was excited to see the Hanuman teaser at the end; Meghnad’s casting also surprised me, and I can’t wait to see more of them.

Overall, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend was enjoyable, and I loved learning more about this famous Indian epic, so I’d say it’s worth a watch, especially during Diwali. I’m genuinely looking forward to Part 2 and seeing how everything unfolds.