The Jubliz Verdict: Premiere, Critics and Box Office
The first audience has spoken; the critics and the box office are next. This is Jubliz's interim verdict, written on the eve of release and designed to be updated in Diwali week.
Editor's note: As of 30 October 2026, no full critic reviews have been published. Metacritic and Bollywood Hungama list no critic reviews yet, and the film opens on 5 November. This article reflects the Los Angeles premiere reactions and pre-release trade data, with a checklist at the end for the release week update.
There is a particular electricity in the days before an Indian event film opens. Ticket apps refresh by the minute, fan clubs plan first day first show celebrations, and every social media post from a premiere is read like a weather forecast. Ramayana is living in that electricity now, and the forecast, so far, is bright with a few clouds.
Then: why premiere buzz is only half the story
Indian cinema has a long memory of premieres that misled. Films have opened to rapturous invitation-only screenings and then faltered once families decided otherwise, while others that divided early viewers went on to become word of mouth sensations. Baahubali: The Beginning, for instance, opened to respectful rather than ecstatic reviews before audiences turned it into a phenomenon. Premiere crowds are a mix of guests, insiders, influencers and devoted fans. Their verdict is a signal, never a sentence.
The premiere
Ramayana held its invitation only world premiere at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on 27 October, a striking venue choice that placed an Indian epic in the heart of Hollywood's own temple of cinema. Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra attended alongside international celebrities and industry figures. Fans chanted Ravana's name for Yash on the red carpet, and by the next morning X was overflowing with reactions.
What the first audience loved
The praise has been consistent across most early reactions:
- Scale and spectacle. Viewers repeatedly described the visuals, action and dance sequences as colossal. One attendee wrote that the closest comparison was The Lord of the Rings, and that even that fell short.
- Yash's Ravana. Described as magnetic and phenomenal, his performance has become the single most discussed element of the film.
- Ranbir Kapoor's Rama. Praised as restrained and sublime, with at least one viewer saying it moved them to tears.
- The ending. Several reactions say the cliffhanger sets up Part Two powerfully, and that people cannot stop talking about it.
- Faithfulness. Many viewers felt the team largely stays true to the Ramayana, a vital reassurance after the Adipurush controversy.
What divided them
The reservations are just as consistent, and they point in one direction:
- Spectacle over emotion. The most common concern is that the film leans more on spectacle and action than drama, with some describing a lack of divine feeling or soul.
- Music. Several viewers named the background score as underwhelming in parts, a genuine surprise given the Rahman and Zimmer partnership.
- Pacing. Some felt the second half dragged, and that omissions made parts of the narration feel flat and serial like.
- Sita's space. Some viewers felt Sai Pallavi's Sita did not receive enough importance, though others expect her role to grow in Part Two.
- Effects. A few scenes reportedly showed noticeable green screen work, and one early reviewer described some asuras as cartoonish.
Great Andhra's summary struck a fair balance: for all the complaints, positive reactions appear to outnumber negative ones. Siasat reported one early review that called the film watchable and ambitious, while suggesting it falls short of the towering expectations around it. The most quotable summary came from AltBollywood, which described the early mood as positive on spectacle and divided on soul.
Now: the commercial signals
The pre-release numbers point to a very large opening. Opening day advance bookings in India had passed ₹17 crore gross by 30 October, with almost a week still to go. Overseas pre-sales stood at around US$2.83 million. Trade estimates point to a Hindi opening of around ₹65 to 75 crore nett, and Pinkvilla projects an overseas opening weekend above US$20 million. Ramayana opens in Diwali week, the most lucrative holiday window of the Indian calendar, with the added symbolism of a festival that celebrates Rama himself.
On 30 October, several outlets reported that the CBFC had passed the film with a U certificate and a runtime of 3 hours 15 minutes, while the English version shown at the premiere is reportedly shorter. That detail matters more than it seems: a longer film means fewer shows per screen each day, which affects how quickly collections can build.
Jubliz's interim verdict
Ramayana: Part One appears to be a true event film, one that delivers on scale and star power, anchored by a commanding Ravana and a dignified, deeply felt Rama. Its open question is emotional depth, which is precisely the quality Nitesh Tiwari has always been celebrated for. It is a fascinating paradox, and one that only the wider audience can resolve.
The real verdict will not come from Los Angeles. It will come from multiplexes in Mumbai, single screens in Lucknow, packed halls in Hyderabad and Diwali family outings in Melbourne, Toronto and London. If grandparents and grandchildren walk out moved, the film will run for weeks, whatever the critics say.
Next: release week update checklist
- Add critic reviews from major outlets after the embargo, with star ratings
- Add Metacritic and IMDb scores once available
- Add India day one nett and gross figures, and the first weekend total
- Add the worldwide opening weekend, with North America, UK and Australia figures
- Confirm the final runtime and certification
- Note whether the post-credit scene reveals the Part Two release date
- Capture audience word of mouth from social media on days one to three
- Revise the interim verdict above
