Hema Malini walked into Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana: Rise of a Legend with almost no expectations. She walked out calling it a “completely unique experience for the Indian audience.” The veteran actress and BJP MP from Mathura shared her full review on Instagram and X on November 10, 2026, five days after the film opened in theatres on November 5. Her words have added fresh momentum to a film that has already crossed Rs 823.50 crore worldwide in six days. Here is everything she said, what the film contains, and how it is performing across the globe.
Hema Malini’s Verdict: Low Expectations, Big Surprise
The 78-year-old actress admitted she was unsure what a new version of the Ramayana could offer, given how deeply familiar the story is to Indian audiences. In her post, she wrote that she “went with least expectations as there is just so much one can tweak in a narration that even young kids are aware of”. That cautious approach made the final result hit harder. She described herself as “pleasantly surprised at the fabulous presentation” and praised the “mind-blowing special effects that left me breathless”.
“Watched the latest version of Ramayan the Movie. As it was an epic, I went with least expectations as there is just so much one can tweak in a narration that even young kids are aware of. I was pleasantly surprised at the fabulous presentation, the mind blowing special effects that left me breathless with anticipation.” — Hema Malini
The actress, who is also a classical dancer and Member of Parliament, did not stop at visuals. She pointed to the audience around her in the theatre, noting that viewers were “transported as they were to another period and made to participate in the events that unfolded”. That observation carries weight from someone who has spent six decades in Indian cinema and understands exactly how a crowd reacts to a big-screen spectacle.
The Full Quote That Sums Up Her Review
Hema Malini’s complete note, posted on both Instagram and X, reads as a single, flowing verdict on the film. The final line has become the headline across every major outlet covering her reaction.
“Add to this the apt casting of the protagonists. I could see the audience response, transported as they were to another period and made to participate in the events that unfolded. In fact, the use of the latest technical innovations made all the difference. A completely unique experience for the Indian audience indeed!” — Hema Malini
Every major publication that carried her review — Times of India, NDTV, News18, Moneycontrol, NDTV Profit and India Today — led with that closing sentence. The phrase “completely unique experience for the Indian audience” has now become the most repeated line about the film from any public figure. It is a review from someone who has watched the Ramayana told and retold on screen for decades, and who expected very little from yet another version.
The Cast That Impressed a Veteran
Hema Malini singled out the casting as one of the film’s strongest points. Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama and also appears as Lord Parshuram. Sai Pallavi plays Sita. Yash plays Ravana. Sunny Deol plays Lord Hanuman. Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman (Variety India). The wider ensemble includes Anupam Kher as the voice of Jatayu, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Arun Govil as Dashrath, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha and Shobana as Kekasi.
“A lot of credit for Ramayana goes to the insanely on-point casting by MUKESH CHABRA. The guy is blessed with an eye. Lara for Kekai and Ravi Dubey for Laxman was a master stroke.” — Badshah, rapper, on X
Casting director Mukesh Chabra has received public credit from multiple quarters for assembling actors from Hindi, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam and television industries into one film. Hema Malini’s praise for the “apt casting of the protagonists” lines up with what other industry voices have said since the film opened.
A Film Built on Technology and Scale
The technical side of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is what Hema Malini highlighted as the deciding factor. The film was shot for IMAX and uses extensive visual effects, motion-capture technology and advanced VFX to recreate the world of the Treta Yuga. The music has been composed by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A R Rahman. The action team includes Terry Notary and Guy Norris (News18). That combination of global technical talent and Indian storytelling is exactly what Hema Malini described as making “all the difference” for the audience.
“#Ramayana… the sheer scale of the film and the visuals on the big screen are spectacular to watch. The pre-climax and climax… loved every bit of it.” — SS Rajamouli, director, on X
The film is produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The combined budget for the two-part project is reported at Rs 4,000 crore, with approximately Rs 2,000 crore allocated to Part 1 alone. That spending is visible on screen, and it is the first thing Hema Malini pointed to in her review.
Box Office: Ramayana Crosses Rs 800 Crore Worldwide
The film’s commercial performance has matched its visual ambition. In six days, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend earned Rs 823.50 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk figures cited by Times of India (Times of India). The India net collection crossed Rs 440 crore. The overseas gross reached Rs 297 crore. The Hindi version contributed Rs 336 crore, which is 76.3% of the domestic net total. Kannada followed with Rs 41.20 crore, Telugu with Rs 33 crore, Tamil with Rs 17.35 crore and Malayalam with Rs 12.90 crore (Times of India).
The film also set a North American record for the highest first-Monday gross for an Indian release, earning approximately USD 1.37 million and surpassing the previous benchmark held by Dhurandhar 2 by about 20.2% (Times of India). On Day 5, the film recorded Rs 107.50 crore in India net, the biggest post-Diwali single-day haul for an Indian film. Day 1 opened at Rs 64.85 crore, Day 2 at Rs 48.05 crore, Day 3 at Rs 69.80 crore and Day 4 at Rs 56.15 crore, before the Monday jump to Rs 107.50 crore (NDTV Profit). The film has crossed Rs 400 crore India net in under a week, a figure very few Indian releases reach in their entire theatrical run.
Release Details for Global Audiences
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend released in theatres on November 5, 2026 in India, the United States and Australia. The United Kingdom and Canada saw the film arrive on November 6, 2026 (The Viewers Guide). Sony Pictures handled the international rollout, with the film playing across an estimated 50,000 screens outside India, covering North America, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Southeast Asia (ThePrint). Advance bookings in the US, Canada, UK and Australia crossed USD 500,000 before release.
The film released in five languages — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam — on the same day (Times of India). For Indian audiences, the film arrived on the eve of the Diwali festive period, a slot that has historically delivered the biggest footfalls for event films. For international viewers, the film was positioned as a large-scale cinematic spectacle, with IMAX and premium format screens forming a major part of its overseas strategy.
On the streaming front, JioHotstar has partnered with Prime Focus Studios to offer Ramayana: Part 1 in India as a pay-per-view purchase after its cinema run. The film will not arrive on a standard subscription streaming tier immediately after its theatrical window. For viewers outside India, no confirmed streaming platform has been officially announced as of November 11, 2026.
What Comes Next for the Two-Part Epic
Ramayana: Part 2 was originally planned for Diwali 2027. Producer Namit Malhotra has confirmed that the sequel will now release during Diwali 2028, a full year later than first announced. The end credits of Part 1 already carry the announcement, and Malhotra explained the delay in an interview with E! before the first film’s release.
“We want to take a little bit more time to make sure that when we present the grand finale, we have a little bit more time to do what we did on Part One. That extra year is what I genuinely believe we need to do justice for a film of this size. We want to deliver the finale in the most grand way that it deserves.” — Namit Malhotra, producer
Malhotra has also said the team is open to turning the two-part story into a trilogy, depending on how audiences respond to Part 1. Two versions of Part 1 were made — one for Indian audiences and one written specifically for English-speaking viewers — with different running times and storytelling treatments. The team has indicated it would prefer a single cut for Part 2, though that may depend on feedback from different markets.
The Story the Film Tells
The official synopsis of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend reads: “When Rakshasa emperor Ravana, invincible to all but man, conquers the three worlds, Lord Vishnu descends as noble prince Rama. Bound by his father’s vow, Rama enters perilous exile with virtuous Sita and devoted Lakshmana. When Ravana abducts Sita, God in human form rises to fight the greatest war ever”. Part 1 covers Ravana’s rise as the king of Lanka, the marriage of Rama and Sita, their years in the forest during exile and the abduction of Sita. The film ends on a note that sets up the war in Part 2, which is why the sequel’s Diwali 2028 date carries so much weight for the story’s completion.
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Hema Malini’s review arrives at a point when the film has already won over several industry figures. SS Rajamouli called the scale “spectacular” and said he “loved every bit” of the pre-climax and climax. Madhur Bhandarkar and Ram Gopal Varma have also spoken highly of the film, and Badshah praised the casting. Hema Malini’s review adds a different kind of weight — the approval of an actress who has been part of Indian cinema since the 1960s and who understands both the mythological genre and the audience that fills theatres for it.
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