Ramayana LA Premiere First Reactions: Yash Steals the Show, Sai Row
The Ramayana LA premiere first reactions are in, and they have set the internet alight just eight days before the film reaches cinemas. Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Rise of a Legend premiered at the David Geffen Theater inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on the evening of October 27, 2026, and the first audience to watch Ranbir Kapoor's Rama and Yash's Ravana on the big screen has largely loved what it saw. The verdict from the premiere is mixed-positive rather than unanimous: Yash's magnetic Ravana is emerging as the most praised performance of the night, Ranbir Kapoor's restrained Rama has been called sublime, and Sai Pallavi's graceful Sita has won warm words too, even as some viewers questioned the music and the pacing. Then came the talking point nobody had planned: a red-carpet remark by Sai Pallavi about Ravana that split social media down the middle within hours.
Ramayana LA Premiere First Reactions: What the First Audience Said
The Los Angeles premiere was an invite-only screening, with guests reportedly asked to wear traditional Indian festive attire for the red carpet. Producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and his wife Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari attended alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash, and a clip of Ranbir and Yash warmly hugging on the red carpet went viral within hours. Inside the theatre, the audience response - shared on social media and reported by Pinkvilla, Zoom TV and Cinema Express - described the film as a grand spectacle and one of the year's most immersive cinematic experiences.
One widely shared reaction called it "spectacular", praising "the visuals, the dances, the music, the action" as "colossal", and describing Ranbir Kapoor as "sublime" and Yash as "magnetic". Another attendee compared the experience to watching The Lord of the Rings for the first time, saying there was "nothing like Ramayana in the cinematic universe" and that the cliffhanger ending left him shouting "no" when the film ended - because the story continues in Part 2. Letterboxd users who attended were similarly upbeat in the main, with one calling it a "grandiose spectacle that succeeds as pure cinematic escapism". These are first reactions from a premiere audience, not formal critic reviews, and they should be read that way: a friendly, invited crowd is not the same as opening-weekend audiences.
Yash's Ravana Steals the Show - Ranbir's Rama Wins Quiet Praise
If one name keeps coming up in the Ramayana LA premiere first reactions, it is Yash. Report after report singles out his Ravana as the performance of the film, with Cinema Express noting that he "walks away with most praises" and several viewers calling his screen presence magnetic and layered rather than one-note villainy. That matters because Ravana is the hardest role in the film to land: he must be terrifying enough to carry the epic's conflict and human enough for the audience to understand his fall.
Ranbir Kapoor's Rama, by contrast, has drawn a quieter kind of praise. Attendees described his portrayal as sublime and moving, built on stillness rather than showiness, while Sai Pallavi has been praised for her grace, expressive performance and screen presence as Sita. The visual effects, the immersive background score and the scale of the production were the other recurring compliments, with the film's world-building and grounded combat work also singled out. The honest caveat in the reactions is that not everyone was swept away: some viewers found the experience uneven, felt the long action sequences crowded out emotional depth, and criticised parts of the AR Rahman-Hans Zimmer score. A few also noted that the film speaks most directly to viewers who already know the epic and its characters.
Sai Pallavi's 'Ravana Is Not All Bad' Remark: What She Actually Said
The controversy began on the red carpet, before anyone had seen the film. Asked what audiences who grew up with the epic should take from the movie, Sai Pallavi spoke about the film as an introduction to Indian culture and its epics, praised the visual effects team and the technicians, and then turned to the deeper meaning of the story. Her full remark, as quoted by Filmfare and several other outlets, was: "At the same time, as a scripture, I think, if you are a believer, you would see, try to introspect and see what good and bad exist in you, and learn to correct yourself over time. Because Ravana is not all bad. And it's important that we spot the Ravana in us and make changes over time."
The clip spread fast, and reactions split. Some viewers objected to the wording, with one widely shared comment calling it a statement to avoid because it would "only fuel negativity and controversy", and another writing critically about "a woman praising her abductor". Others defended the context, arguing that she was clearly talking about recognising and conquering the inner demon everyone carries, not glorifying Ravana's actions in the epic, with one defender noting that even Rama is said to have acknowledged Ravana's qualities after the war. The fair reading is the one the full quote supports: Pallavi was talking about self-reflection, about spotting one's own flaws and correcting them over time, and the single line "Ravana is not all bad" only sounds like praise when it is lifted out of that sentence. Whether the debate helps or hurts the film at the box office is another question - controversy this close to release rarely hurts awareness, and Ramayana now dominates social media conversation eight days out.
Sai Pallavi also gave the premiere's other headline away when she was asked about Part 2: she said she has not started filming her scenes for the second part yet. That confirms Part 2 is still in an early stage even as Part 1 heads for release.
Inside the LA Premiere: Academy Museum, Traditional Dress and the AI Question
The choice of venue said plenty about the film's ambitions. The David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum is one of the most prestigious screening rooms in Los Angeles, and holding the world premiere there - rather than in Mumbai - signals that the makers are pitching Ramayana as a global film, not just an Indian one. The film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version also prepared, and will play in standard screens as well as IMAX and premium large formats. Sony Pictures is handling international distribution, while Dharma Productions oversees the Hindi-speaking domestic market.
Director Nitesh Tiwari also used the premiere to clarify the film's limited use of artificial intelligence technology, after online speculation about AI in the production. Reactions from the popular duo Rick and Korbin praised the AI-assisted English dub lip-sync, while noting that the film largely caters to viewers already familiar with the mythological universe. Attendees also reported a post-credit scene marking the arrival of Hanuman, played by Sunny Deol - a tease that sets up Part 2 and gives audiences a reason to stay in their seats.
Ramayana Release Date, Cast and Part 2: What Happens Next
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend releases in theatres worldwide on November 5, 2026, as announced, with paid previews reported for November 4. Part 1 is reported to cover Rama's early life and marriage to Sita through the 14-year exile, ending with Sita's abduction - the opening chapter of a two-part adaptation, with the war for Lanka belonging to Part 2. Part 2 is announced for Diwali 2027, although some reports have suggested the extensive post-production on its war sequences could push it to Diwali 2028; treat the 2027 date as announced and the 2028 talk as unconfirmed for now.
The cast is led by Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi and Kajal Aggarwal in supporting roles. The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, with a reported combined budget of Rs 4,000 crore for both parts. Advance booking, as covered earlier on Showbiz Daily, had already crossed 54,000 tickets at national chains 12 days before release, with trade watchers eyeing a record opening.
Tonight also brings the film's biggest television push: Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravi Dubey join Amitabh Bachchan on the Diwali special of Kaun Banega Crorepati, airing October 29 and 30 at 9 PM on Sony Entertainment Television and streaming on SonyLIV. In the promo, Ranbir asks Bachchan about his childhood Diwali memories, and Bachchan recalls that the only memory that stuck was the neighbourhood competition over whose firecracker was louder - "if a firecracker went off at the neighbour's place, ours had to be even louder". Bachchan was also seen bowing before Lord Hanuman and joining the audience in the chant "Boliye Siya Pati Ramchandra ki... Jai." It is a perfectly timed family-audience stop, and it lands on the very night the LA premiere reactions are trending.
Ramayana LA Premiere Scorecard
| Premiere detail | What happened |
|---|---|
| World premiere | October 27, 2026, David Geffen Theater, Academy Museum, Los Angeles |
| Most praised performance | Yash as Ravana - magnetic, layered, the night's standout |
| Ranbir Kapoor as Rama | Described as sublime and moving, built on stillness |
| Sai Pallavi as Sita | Praised for grace and screen presence; Ravana remark sparked debate |
| Main criticisms | Uneven pacing, long action stretches, parts of the score questioned |
| Post-credit scene | Reported arrival of Sunny Deol's Hanuman, teasing Part 2 |
| Release date | November 5, 2026 worldwide, as announced; paid previews reported November 4 |
| KBC Diwali special | October 29-30, 9 PM, Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLIV |
Related coverage on Showbiz Daily
Read our earlier Ramayana advance booking report on Ranbir and Yash's epic eyeing a record Rs 75 crore opening for the ticket-sales picture behind this premiere buzz. For the weekend box office context, see our Udta Teer opening weekend box office collection report on Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan's spy comedy and our Clayface opening weekend box office story on DC's $24 million horror win. On the television side, catch up with the Anupama 26 October 2026 written update on the FIR against Mathela and the Pari-Ishani kidnap scare, and for Pakistani drama fans, our Nashtar episode 25 teaser breakdown on Shah's farewell to Bareera and Tamseel's shock.
FAQs
When is Ramayana releasing in theatres?
Ramayana: Rise of a Legend releases in theatres worldwide on November 5, 2026, as announced, with paid previews reported for November 4. It will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an English version also prepared.
What did Sai Pallavi say about Ravana at the LA premiere?
Sai Pallavi said: "Because Ravana is not all bad. And it's important that we spot the Ravana in us and make changes over time." She said it in the context of introspection - recognising the good and bad within oneself and correcting one's own flaws over time - which is why many fans defended the remark even as others criticised the wording.
Who plays Rama, Sita and Ravana in Ramayana?
Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravana in Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Sunny Deol plays Hanuman and Ravi Dubey plays Lakshman.
Where and when was the Ramayana LA premiere held?
The Ramayana world premiere was held on the evening of October 27, 2026, at the David Geffen Theater inside the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. It was an invite-only screening attended by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari.
What are the first reactions to Ramayana from the LA premiere?
The first reactions from the LA premiere are mixed-positive. Viewers praised the film's scale, visual effects and performances - especially Yash's Ravana and Ranbir Kapoor's Rama - while some criticised uneven pacing, long action sequences and parts of the score. These are premiere-audience impressions, not formal critic reviews.
When will Ramayana Part 2 release?
Ramayana Part 2 is announced for Diwali 2027, although some reports have suggested its extensive war sequences could push it to Diwali 2028. Sai Pallavi has said she has not started filming her Part 2 scenes yet, so the 2027 date should be treated as announced rather than confirmed.