Indian epic film “Ramayana” faces criticism over VFX, casting and costumes

The upcoming Indian mythological film *Ramayana* has sparked a heated debate on social media. Actor Chetan Hansraj, who plays the demon Mali, defended the movie’s visual effects, calling detractors “keyboard VFX superstars” and saying the scale of the film can only be appreciated on the big screen. He also praised the casting of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita, describing the choices as “fabulous.”

Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula responded to criticism of the film’s modern styling, explaining that no authentic garments from the Treta Yuga survive and that their designs are an artistic interpretation meant to connect the ancient epic with a new generation. They highlighted the symbolic use of colour in the costumes of Sita and Queen Kaikeyi and emphasized that the visual language was deliberately chosen rather than historically exact.