The first wave is loud, warm and mixed
Ramayana hit cinemas today, November 5, and the first audience verdicts landed on X within hours. The mood is largely positive, but it is not a clean sweep. Fans love the look of the film, the scale, and Yash as Ravana. They argue about the length, the music and the feeling between Ram and Sita. That is the honest picture from the first shows.
ABP Live roundup of early X posts sums it up well. Viewers praised the visual effects, cinematography, production design and performances, with Yash portrayal of Ravana emerging as a major highlight. Several viewers also loved the Jatayu sequence and the climax. But the same roundup notes criticism of the lengthy runtime, the music, and a weaker emotional connection between Ram and Sita. Mathrubhumi English, in its own roundup, reached the same split verdict: a mixed early response, with scale and performances impressing many and the pace and runtime leaving others wanting more.
For now, here is what real viewers actually posted.
Yash as Ravana is the post everyone agrees on
If you read a hundred early posts, one name keeps coming back: Yash. His Ravana is the performance of the film for most early viewers, and the words they use are big. One viewer, Goutham Nandha, posted that the film is a "blockbuster ride" and that Yash delivers a career best performance as Raavan, with "monstrous screen presence and elevations" that are "pure goosebumps". He praised Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi too, and gave the film 4.5 out of 5.
Another viewer who watched the Tamil version rated it 4 out of 5 and wrote "What an effort from the team", singling out the first 30 minutes and Yash strong impact as Ravana. A third viewer, who watched the second IMAX 3D show, gave it 4.5 out of 5 and said the Airawat, Jatayu and forest segments were amazing, with the climax as a personal favourite. That viewer said the ending moved him to tears three times during the screening.
Outlook India, in its 2.5 out of 5 review, still called Yash Ravana the film most engaging presence. When a mixed review and a fan post agree, you can trust it. Yash owns this film, and his Tandav scene and the Jatayu fight are the moments viewers keep naming.
The VFX, the Jatayu scene and the climax win the day
Beyond Yash, the craft is what fans keep posting about. One viewer, Knight Rider, posted an interval review calling the film "absolutely fantastic", with "cinematography, CGI, VFX and storytelling" all outstanding. He said the opening sequence was brilliantly executed, the portrayal of Ravan and the Ram Vanvaas sequences were particularly impressive, and the hard work was visible on screen. He credited director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra for creating something spectacular, and said the film had already impressed him by the interval.
The film was shot for IMAX, the effects come from DNEG, and the Ravana and Jatayu fight alone took a reported six and a half years to finish. The Jatayu sequence comes up in post after post, and the climax is the scene most viewers name as their favourite.
Rapper Badshah joined the praise after watching the film, rating it "six on five" in a video shared on social media. He praised the cast, the visuals and the background score, called Yash Ravana menacing, and said Jatayu ends up stealing the show. In a separate post on November 4, Badshah also praised the casting, saying the choice of Lara for Kekai and Ravi Dubey for Laxman was a master stroke.
Not every post is a rave. Siddarth Srinivas gave the film 3.5 out of 5, calling it a "visually stunning epic" but saying "Yash is the real show stealer" while the music is "the biggest misfire". And the early morning shows were packed: Rishabh Bhagat posted on November 5 that the 7am IMAX 3D show at PVR Priya in Delhi was housefull.
The criticism is real too: length, music and feeling
But the praise has a limit, and the critical posts are blunt about it. Christopher Kanagaraj posted one of the most shared early verdicts, and he did not hold back. He called the film "Drama'yana!!" and listed the highlights as outstanding VFX, the making, the terrific Yash episodes and the Jatayu sequence. Then he listed the drawbacks: the music, Ranbir, the Ram Sita emotions, an unexciting story and drama, and the lengthy runtime. His verdict was "AVERAGE!"
That post names the same weak spots the critics found. Outlook India said Ranbir Ram often feels anxious and uncertain, and the film gives the Ram and Sita bond surprisingly little room to develop. Mathrubhumi roundup noted one viewer who gave the film 3 out of 5.
The music split is the most interesting part. Some viewers praise the A R Rahman and Hans Zimmer score, and Badshah picked it out too. Others list the music as a drawback, and Outlook India split the difference, saying it works well in several stretches. At 195 minutes, the quiet stretches between Ram and Sita feel thin to a vocal group of early viewers.
What the first day reaction really tells you
So what should you take from day one on X? First, the film delivers as a big screen event. The VFX, the cinematography, the scale and Yash as Ravana are winning real praise from real viewers, not just from trade. The Jatayu sequence and the climax are the scenes people will tell their friends about, and the IMAX 3D shows are getting the warmest words of all.
The first numbers back the mood. Per Sacnilk, the live Day 1 estimate as of 12:03 PM IST was Rs 17.10 crore net in India, Rs 20.18 crore gross, from 9,249 shows, with Hindi at Rs 12.55 crore. That is a live estimate, not a final total, and the final Day 1 total comes tonight.
Second, the film has a real weakness, and it is the same one the critics flagged. The runtime is long, the middle sags for some viewers, and the Ram and Sita emotion does not land the way the story needs it to.
Third, watch the second wave. The first day posts come from fans and early bookers, and they skew positive. The weekend posts, from families and casual viewers, will show whether the word of mouth holds. For now, the crowd is cheering the spectacle and arguing about the soul, and that argument is the film in one line.
What fans are saying on X
Knight Rider (@Bhaveshpaliwa1) on X, as quoted by ABP Live:
RAMAYANA, INTERVAL REVIEW. The film is absolutely fantastic! The cinematography, CGI, VFX and storytelling are outstanding. The opening sequence is brilliantly executed... Hats off to Nitesh Tiwari and Namit Malhotra for creating something this spectacular.
Goutham Nandha (@2ndvillainn) on X, as quoted by ABP Live:
Ramayana is a blockbuster ride. Yash delivers a career-best performance as Raavan. His monstrous screen presence and elevations are pure goosebumps! Ranbir Kapoor shines, while Sai Pallavi impresses with her acting 4.5/5.
Christopher Kanagaraj (@Chrissuccess) on X, as quoted by ABP Live:
Ramayana, Drama'yana!! Highlights: Outstanding VFX, Making, Terrific Yash Episodes and Jatayu Seq! Music, Ranbir, Ram-Sita Emotions, Unexciting Story/Drama, Lengthy Runtime are drawbacks. AVERAGE!
Badshah (@Its_Badshah) on X, Nov 4, as quoted by News18 live blog, praised the casting, saying the choice of Lara for Kekai and Ravi Dubey for Laxman was a master stroke.
Siddarth Srinivas (@sidhuwrites) on X, Nov 4, as quoted by News18 live blog, gave the film 3.5 out of 5, calling it a visually stunning epic and saying Yash is the real show stealer while the music is the biggest misfire.
Rishabh Bhagat on X, Nov 5, as quoted by News18 live blog, posted that the 7am IMAX 3D show at PVR Priya in Delhi was housefull.
Sources and reporting
- ABP Live — November 5, 2026 · Verifies the X posts quoted in the body, the praise for VFX, Yash, Jatayu and climax, and the criticism of music, runtime and Ram Sita emotion
- Mathrubhumi English — November 5, 2026 · Verifies the mixed early verdict on X and the 3/5 viewer rating
- Outlook India — November 5, 2026 · Verifies the 2.5/5 rating, the praise for Yash Ravana and the criticism of Ranbir Ram and the Ram Sita bond
- News18 — November 5, 2026 · Verifies the Badshah casting praise, the Siddarth Srinivas 3.5/5 verdict and the Rishabh Bhagat housefull 7am IMAX post
- Sacnilk — November 5, 2026 · Verifies the live Day 1 estimate as of 12:03 PM IST: Rs 17.10 crore net India, Rs 20.18 crore gross, 9,249 shows
