Ranbir Kapoor takes dig at 'CGI critics' bashing Ramayana trailer

Actor Ranbir Kapoor has taken a dig at online "CGI critics" who have been bashing the trailer of Ramayana. The 43-year-old said a "new phenomenon" has emerged in recent years as more people begin commenting on computer-generated imagery amid wider conversations around Artificial Intelligence (AI).His remarks come after the teaser and trailer of the two-part adaptation drew backlash online over their visuals. Kapoor's response was echoed by producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari. The duo emphasised that the film's technical work was being judged in poor viewing conditions, that the VFX was still unfinished, and that the project remained one of the most demanding undertaken by DNEG.Speaking to Collider, Ranbir said it was amusing to see people assume that visual effects could be made instantly with AI."It's quite funny sometimes because people who don't know how CG is done, they think someone has just some AI and released something. There are countless hours of work where artists are working for years. I've seen Nitesh (Tiwari) and Namit (Malhotra) sir sit on VFX calls ever since this project started, trying to get even the colour of the sky right. I think it's tricky right now to impress the audience with authentic CG," he said. What Namit Malhotra and Nitesh Tiwari saidFilm producer Namit Malhotra said the reaction often changes when the same viewers who criticise the visuals on their phones are shown the footage in IMAX 3D."They're judging the film in not a great condition. Here we are spending millions and millions of dollars to try and make something for that big-screen experience that we've been patiently waiting to bring to you. And then you're judging it on a phone with a not great internet connection, and saying, It's not good enough," Namit said. He described much of the debate around the VFX as noise and said the team had been trying to educate creators and influencers to "at least try and give it a fair appraisal on the basis of what it's supposed to be". He cited Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey as an example, saying it was intended to be watched on a 70mm IMAX screen.Namit added, "You're judging the technical finesse on a display that's not giving you an accurate representation of what you're actually watching. The issue is not that we're saying, consume it only on the big screen. Consume it wherever you like, but if you have a point of view, where everybody wants to be a critic of the visual and sound, you've not heard the right sound and experienced the right visual, and you're making a comment on something, which to me, is unfortunately inaccurate."Director Nitesh Tiwari said the team was currently giving the finishing touches to the VFX work and called it a very, very daunting task. He said some VFX sequences had taken two-and-a-half to three years. On the criticism, he said, "The sad reality is when someone is hellbent on nitpicking, your best effort will be ignored, and your smallest mistake will be amplified."Namit said the team was in a good place, overall with the VFX, but added that Ramayana was among the toughest projects DNEG had taken on. He said, "That being said, it's one of the hardest projects that DNEG has ever done. We've won a few Oscars, and we've worked with some of the most prestigious and challenging projects around the world. But it's fair to say Ramayana has scaled up beyond all of those in terms of complexity and scale."DNEG, the British visual effects company under Prime Focus, has won eight Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects. Its wins include Inception, Interstellar, Tenet, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, First Man, and the first two Dune films.Namit also said the VFX was still unfinished and that this was normal when marketing begins months before release. He said, "There's no doubt that when we put marketing six to eight months before release, the film is clearly in production or post-production. If it was ready, we wouldn't wait nine months to release. It's hard to make people understand that. Why is it not as good? Because it's still in the works."What the trailer showedThe film's first full trailer was unveiled on July 30 during Brahma Muhurat at 4.15 am. The four-minute-nine-second video offered an extended look at Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita, and set up the central conflict between Ram and Ravana. The trailer opened with Ravana's introduction, before moving through scenes from Lanka, his Pushpak Vimaan and his rise to power.It then shifted to Ram's introduction, with glimpses of him on horseback and with King Dasharatha, played by Arun Govil, and Kaikeyi, played by Lara Dutta. The trailer also showed Ram and Sita's wedding, Kaikeyi's decision that leads Ram, Sita and Lakshman into exile, and a sequence involving Shurpanakha, played by Rakul Preet Singh. Ravi Dubey appeared as Lakshman, while the trailer did not show Sunny Deol as Hanuman, though it briefly featured other members of the ensemble cast. The score is composed by AR Rahman in collaboration with Hans Zimmer.Cast and release planCo-produced by Prime Focus and Yash's Monster Mind Works, Ramayana will be released in two parts, with the first due in cinemas during Diwali this year and the second next year.The cast includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Indra Krishnan as Sumitra, Vivek Oberoi as Vidythjiva, Shobana as Kaikesi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, Kunal Kapoor as Indra, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara, and Anupam Kher as the voice of Jatayu, among others.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Aug 12, 2026 15:04 IST