Ranbir Kapoor defends Ramayana VFX criticism: ‘People who don’t know how CG is done think someone just used AI’ 

Ranbir Kapoor reacted to the bad criticisms of the visuals of the upcoming film Ramayana by requesting people to comprehend how much work gets put in whenever large-scale CGI is created. He also took a jab at “CG critics” who have surfed the internet to pass judgment on a film’s visual effects after watching its trailer on their phones. 

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the movie Ramayana is one of the most awaited Indian films whose trailer has raised much chatter online. While the scale and ambition of the project have received attention, several viewers have also questioned its CGI and VFX. 

Ranbir Kapoor says people have become ‘CG critics’ 

In an interview with Collider, Ranbir mentioned that there are visible changes in the way CGI is discussed nowadays. He said that with the rise of AI and higher awareness about CGI, the viewers’ habit of quickly making judgments about the visual effects has significantly increased. 

He also added that people have started thinking that sophisticated visuals can be created by AI without them realizing how long the process actually takes. 

“There has been a phenomenon right now. In the last few years, there are such a large number of people who have become these CG critics. They see the trailer, and they are always critiquing that it’s not good enough or it’s seemingly not done. So I think people are getting more aware, especially with the influx of AI. People are getting more interested in how good the CGI is and how good the CGI will finally look once the film releases,” he said. 

He added, “I think it’s quite funny sometimes because people who know how CG is done think like someone’s just used some AI and released something. You know, there are countless hours of work where artists are working for years. I have seen Nitesh sir and Namit sitting on VFX calls ever since this project started, trying to get even a certain colour of the sky right. I think it’s tricky right now trying to impress the audience with authentic CGI.” 

Ranbir highlighted that artists invest years of their time in a single aspect before the final product is completed. He explained that he has witnessed Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra putting in a significant amount of time discussing various VFX aspects, right down to the precise shade of blue that appears in the sky. 

The actor agreed to the fact that it is becoming more challenging to create CGI that looks real while fascinating the audience simultaneously. 

Namit Malhotra asks viewers to judge Ramayana on the big screen 

Producer Namit Malhotra responded to the criticism too, contending that how people are looking at the visuals could affect their impression of the VFX. 

Malhotra states that many viewers who had complaints against the previous version of the film footage had a change of mind after having seen the same footage in IMAX 3D. He noted that the audience is likely to judge the complicated visual effects on their smartphones or via slow internet, as the footage is made specifically for the cinemas. 

He compared the experience to watching films by Christopher Nolan in IMAX cinemas, pointing out that the magnitude, visuals, and audio are meant to be perceived in cinema, rather than on a small digital display. 

Nitesh Tiwari reveals VFX work is still underway 

Nitesh Tiwari, the director of the film has revealed that there is still work being done on the VFX of the film. Certain sequences, he stated, have taken almost three years to get done, which speaks volume about the amount of time required in making the visual effects for the film.  

Ramayana is going to be a two-part epic. The movie features Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. The first part is set to release in 2026 whereas the second part is expected to be released in 2027.  

With the makers busy working on the VFX of the film, the team appears to seek audience to hold on to their judgement till they watch Ramayana on the screen.