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Dear @malhotra_namit and @TheNameIsYash , I owe you both an apology. I am sorry for doubting your dream of taking Indian culture and history to the world. Yesterday, I watched Ramayana on one of India's biggest IMAX screens. Having grown up listening to, reading and watching Tulsidas's Ramayana, I walked into the theatre with a neutral mindset, almost imagining myself as someone who was discovering the story for the first time. As the film opened with the Dev-Asur Sangram, I literally jumped out of my seat. The detailing, scale, imagination and breathtaking action were extraordinary. That sequence could put some of Hollywood's biggest battle spectacles to shame. But what impressed me even more was your approach to storytelling. I noticed a conscious effort to make Indian mythology accessible to international audiences without overwhelming them with its cultural complexity. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva are presented as celestial beings, while even the Asuras have their own motivations and reasons for claiming the three worlds. You have attempted to create a universe where every being has a perspective and a place. Sai Pallavi as Maa Sita is a wonderful casting choice. She doesn't rely on conventional glamour or exaggerated divinity. There is an understated grace, simplicity and dignity in her portrayal. She feels human without losing the sanctity of the character. Moments that make this film special. Dashrath washing Rishi Vishwamitra's feet. Sita caring for Kaikeyi like a daughter. The brothers expressing affection and devotion towards Ram. These moments may appear ordinary, but they communicate extraordinary values of our civilisation: humility, respect, duty, family and love. The Ram-Sita wedding : At a time when arranged marriages are often misunderstood or dismissed, you remind audiences that a marriage can also be a divine union, a relationship destined beyond the choices of two individuals. Ranbir as Ram is convincing. So is Lakshman. However, a few things could have been better. Vivek Oberoi should've been made Meghnad. Khar-Dushan and Kumbhakarna looked a little too animated to me. Perhaps Kumbhakarna will get a more imposing visual treatment in Part 2. After all, his brother rules a city of gold! I wanted more anger and fire in Lakshman's expressions and greater emotional intensity from Sita during the Ravan-Jatayu encounter. I would also have loved to hear Yash's original voice as Ravan rather than Sharad Kelkar's dubbing. The dialogues by Kumar Vishwas and the music by A.R. Rahman did not always strike the emotional chord I expected. But Hans Zimmer's background score, however, is extraordinary. It elevates the cinematic experience to another level. I have two requests for the next instalment. First, please reinvent the timeless musical identity of Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan. Bring back the emotional connection of those iconic melodies and incorporate some of Goswami Tulsidas's most beloved dohas. A new generation deserves to experience that magic. Second, please provide English subtitles or translations for the Sanskrit mantras and chants too. If we want the world to understand our civilisation, let us also help them understand the meaning behind our sacred sounds. And please don't rush the story. If Ramayana needs three parts, make it three. This epic deserves the time and space it demands. I may still have my reservations about certain creative decisions, but I owe you an apology for doubting the ambition of this project. As I've said earlier Indian stories do not need to imitate the West to earn global recognition. They need conviction, craftsmanship, imagination and the courage to tell their stories on their own terms. Perhaps this is the beginning of Indian cinema telling its own civilisational stories to the world. Hari Anant, Hari Katha Ananta. Kahahi sunahi bahu bidhi sab santa 🙏🚩 #Ramayana #NiteshTiwari #NamitaMalhotra #IndianCinema #RamayanaMovie @Sai_Pallavi92 @raviedubey