The Ramayana trailer that released online on Thursday, July 30, opened to rave reviews from fans and fellow netizens, but it also sparked a fresh wave of discussion as viewers began dissecting every frame for changes from the earlier teaser. After months of waiting, producer Namit Malhotra dropped the official trailer online at 4.15 am IST, with simultaneous releases in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada, giving audiences their first substantial look at Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.
Following the release, fans took to social media to hail the film’s leading stars for their impressive turns in the epic mythological saga. Since then, viewers have gone on to dissect the trailer and take a closer look at the film’s VFX, character design, dialogues and other technical aspects, with many claiming to have spotted noticeable visual changes after the makers received feedback on the film’s Rama Glimpse that was released earlier this year.
Social media users began comparing scenes from the teaser and the final trailer, pointing to what they believe are updated creature designs, improved VFX and a more natural colour palette. The biggest talking point has been the appearance of a demon featured in the forest sequence. Side-by-side comparisons shared online suggest the creature has undergone a redesign, with many fans arguing that it now looks far more Indian and less like characters from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
One fan praised the updated visual effects, writing, “Honestly, Subahu already looks better than Hulk in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Team Ramayana is cooking bhaiii. The CGI is too good.” Another user believed the redesign was a direct response to audience criticism, saying, “After backlash, Ramayan makers changed appearance of this demon which looked like from LOTR in teaser.” A third commenter simply wrote, “They changed the design of Rakshas.”
Several viewers also noticed changes to the film’s overall visual tone. “They changed the monster look plus the colour grading,” one fan observed on X (formerly Twitter). Another wrote, “Namit Malhotra listens, despite all that we say against him. Got the monster design changed, as well as reduced the yellow colour grading to give a more natural hue to the visuals.”
The controversy traces back to April 2, when the makers released the film’s first teaser, titled Rama, which introduced Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. While the teaser was praised for its scale and grandeur, many viewers criticised its VFX and CGI, as well as the design of some of the rakshasas (demons) that Lord Rama was shown fighting. The film’s team later said that the shortcomings would be addressed before release.
Producer Namit Malhotra addressed the backlash in a social media post on April 7, writing, “The response over the past few days has truly been overwhelming, inspiring and humbling. The many thousands of artists and collaborators who have been working away passionately are enthusiastic and energised to get out there and continue to deliver the absolute best in every department. We’re listening closely, working diligently and pouring every effort possible into honouring it with the reverence it holds.”
Not all reactions to the latest trailer were entirely positive. One fan wrote, “There’s a lot to admire here, especially the creature work, the music and the costume detailing, but the overall visuals still need some refinement. Certain shots scream green screen and lack that natural, immersive feel. I’m cautiously optimistic.”
Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is the first instalment of a two-part epic scheduled to release on Diwali 2026, with the sequel set for Diwali 2027. The film also features Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, with music by Oscar winners Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman.
With the trailer now out and fans continuing to analyse every frame, the debate over whether the makers made substantive changes to the VFX, creature design and colour grading in response to criticism remains a key talking point as anticipation builds for the Diwali 2026 release.
