It has been mounted on a massive Rs 4,000 crore budget (including marketing and release), has a stellar star cast and presents an Indian epic to the world. And yet, most of what one hears about producer Namit Malhotra’s ambitious Ramayana franchise is about the inferior quality of visual effects on display. This, of course, has not gone well with audiences because Namit Malhotra heads the Academy Award-winning visual effects firm – DNEG. How is it that he is not able to deliver the same world-class visuals he does for Hollywood productions in his own film, they wondered. 


After the backlash following the initial visuals, there has been marked improvement in the output that is now seen in the latest trailer, but it’s still not top notch, reckon audiences. And this kind of criticism is what actor Yash, who plays Ravana in the film and has co-produced it, is not keen on. Speaking at the Ramayana pre-release event in Hyderabad, Yash said, “Please don’t try to find small faults like VFX in Ramayana. Watch the film with an open mind.” He warned that any backlash could keep a passionate filmmaker like Namit away from the industry. 



This is not exactly what audiences wanted to hear, what with the film’s first part set to hit theatres for Diwali on November 5, 2026. For starters, they reckon it is an admission of visible flaws in the final output. “There was no need to tell audience not to judge the film through VFX lens and to ignore small issues. The film is a very emotional story now being presented in a grand way. People would observe the VFX…Don’t make it obvious”, wrote one user on social media. “It's when these people start making statements like this. That is when I start thinking there's definitely small VFX issues. Also, the whole movie is being marketed on its level of VFX, so yeah, I think we will criticise it if needed,” wrote another.


“A producer who has a VFX company and provides VFX services to Hollywood doesn't have good VFX in his own film and his actor justifying not to diss the film on the basis of VFX. You have spent 4K crores and if this level of presentation has come then there are two possibilities. Either your company doesn't know how to do good VFX, which I don't agree to, as Hollywood would have never accepted your services, if you weren't good at your job. Or, you are filing for bankruptcy after the release,” wrote a third, adding, “Criticising the vfx doesn't means not revering Ramayana. Ramayana has its own place in our hearts, but this level of presentation doesn’t suit this budget.”