Expecting something very good from 'Ramayana', says 'Ramayan' creator Ramand Sagar's son

The teaser has received mixed views with some praising the spectacle while others criticising the special effects in the movie.

Mumbai: Ranbir Kapoor’s first look as Lord Ram from Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana has received a thumbs up from Moti Sagar, the son of Ramayan creator Ramanand Sagar, who also dismissed comparisons between the 1987 TV series and the upcoming film, citing their differing formats.

The film's first teaser was released last week on Hanuman Jayanti and gave audiences a sneak peek into the world of the movie and Kapoor’s Lord Ram. The movie is backed by producer Namit Malhotra.

The teaser, however, has received mixed views with some praising the spectacle while others criticising the special effects in the movie.

Moti Sagar, who co-directed the show with his father, said it would be unfair to judge the film based on its teaser, but added that he liked Kapoor as Lord Ram, a character immortalised by veteran actor Arun Govil in his father’s version of Ramayan.

"I expect something very good from ‘Ramayana’ as he (Ranbir) is one the best actors we have today as far as performances are concerned, including getting the emotions (right). He is such a class actor and has so much depth. But you cannot judge anything from this teaser."

"The actor has got so much depth in his performance. He must have gone very deep into this character. So, I would like to see the whole film and then comment. I'm expecting something very good from this film," Moti Sagar told PTI.

He also believes that the comparison between the film and TV show is “not right”.

With Ramayan, which became a cultural phenomenon upon its release, the team had the luxury of getting deeper into characters and details, he added.

“People often overlook that our Ramayan spanned 78 episodes of 30–40 minutes each, while the film will run for just three to four hours. So, there will be a lot of differences, like we can go into a lot of details in a show,” he said.

Moti Sagar said his father wanted to narrate the story of “Ramayan” with utmost honesty and devotion.

The show was made on a budget of Rs 9 lakh per episode and was filmed in and around a studio in Umbergaon, Gujarat for about 10 to 12 hours a day.

“My father was a devotee of Lord Ram. After making Vikram Betal and Dada Dadi Ki Kahaniyan, he called all four of us (his sons) and said that Ramayan is my lifetime ambition. I’ve to do it, even if I’ve to sell my bungalow.

"He also said he is not making the show for money and whoever wants to work on it, can join in. We all joined him and for those two-three years, we lived and breathed only ‘Ramayan’. He made it to create awareness and moral values.” Moti Sagar said they faced several challenges while making the TV show but they all were determined to help fulfil his father's dream project.

With no computer-generated imagery (CGI) available then, the co-director said they did all sorts of “jugaad” to create the special effects.

“We did the special effects using unique methods. Like, incense and dhoop sticks were used to create fog, cotton was used to create a cloud. Also, we used a new machine, SEG 2000, a special effects generator, for the bow and arrow scenes,” Moti Sagar said.

Ramayana also features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

Govil also features in a pivotal role alongside actors Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare and Sheeba Chaddha.

Ramayana part one is scheduled for Diwali 2026 and its second part will bow out in Diwali 2027.