Moti Sagar, the son of Ramayan creator Ramanand Sagar, has dismissed comparisons between the 1987 TV series and Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming film Ramayana, giving a thumbs up to Ranbir Kapoor’s first look as Lord Rama.
The teaser of the Nitesh Tiwari directorial, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, had some audiences praising the visuals, while others expressed disappointment over the “cartoonish VFX”.
However, Sagar, who co-directed the series with his father, said it would be unfair to judge the film based on its teaser. He also added that he liked Ranbir’s portrayal of Lord Ram, a character immortalised by Arun Govil in the 1987 TV series.
“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,” Sagar told PTI.
“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,” Sagar added.
Talking about the distinction between the series and the film, Sagar said, “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.”
Noting that his father aimed to narrate Ramayan with utmost honesty and devotion, Sagar said the show was produced on a budget of Rs 9 lakh per episode and filmed for 10-12 hours a day in a studio in Umbergaon, Gujarat.
“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.”
Reflecting on the production, Sagar shared that with no computer-generated imagery (CGI) available at the time, they relied on 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.”
On Tuesday, producer Namit Malhotra issued a statement defending the teaser of Ramayana after it drew criticism over its VFX following its release on April 2.
Responding to the reactions, Malhotra shared a note on social media on Tuesday, emphasising the team’s commitment to the project.
Last week, actor Hrithik Roshan took to social media to defend the teaser of Ramayana amid the criticism. Roshan penned a note on Instagram acknowledging that “bad VFX exists”.
“It takes thousands of our artistes working round the clock for multiple years to bring VFX-heavy films to life, so the least we can do is bash them with some better awareness,” he said.
Ramayana, backed by Malhotra and Yash under Prime Focus Studios and DNEG, along with Monster Mind Creations, is slated for a two-part release during Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027. The films are reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore.
The project features music by Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman. Alongside Ranbir Kapoor, the cast includes Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana.