'Ranbir Kapoor's Lord Ram seems weak': Ramlila body demands pre-release screening of Ramayana, warns of protests

Shri Ramlila Mahasangh demands a special screening of Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana to prevent offending religious sentiments.

Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana is one of the most anticipated films of the year. However, before its grand release on Diwali this year, the film has landed in controversy. Arjun Kumar, President of Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, has written a formal letter to the film's makers requesting a special screening before its theatrical release. The organisation has demanded the screening to ensure that no scenes or dialogues hurt religious sentiments. It has also warned of protests if its request is not considered.

Ranbir Kapoor plays Lord Rama in Ramayana.

'Ranbir doesn't fully resemble the image of Lord Ram'

Kumar said that the screening should be arranged for members of the Mahasangh, Ramlila committees, and Hindu organisations in Delhi. Speaking to the media in Delhi, Kumar described Ranbir's portrayal of Lord Ram as 'weak'.

The press note read, "...Recently, a film starring Prabhas was released, and we even organised a promotional event for it at the Red Fort...However, the film contained objectionable content. For example, the golden city of Lanka was depicted as black, leather was used inappropriately, and some characters were portrayed with features resembling Mughal-era figures...In our view, Adipurush presented a negative image, which is why that mega-budget film failed at the box office."

He added, "As for the upcoming film starring Ranbir Kapoor, we are ready to welcome and promote it. The Ramlila Committee even plans to arrange free screenings for thousands of people. However, we have one request for the filmmakers. The recently released trailer for the Ramayana adaptation appears underwhelming. Ranbir Kapoor's portrayal of Lord Ram seems weak and lacks the gravitas associated with the character."

Among the concerns raised was teh depiction of Lanka. “The depiction of Lanka in black instead of gold, and the portrayal of Ravana and his army in a manner that did not align with traditional beliefs," as per the press note

He further shared, "In our opinion, he does not fully resemble the image of Lord Ram...In contrast, regarding this new mega-budget film starring a major actor like Ranbir Kapoor, our only request is that it should avoid the kind of scenes that appeared in Adipurush and contributed to its failure...We would like a show of the film to be arranged for Hindu organisations in Delhi, including the Ramlila committees."

Shri Ramlila Mahasangh warns of protests

The organisation also warned that if the filmmakers do not arrange the requested screening, Shri Ramlila Mahasangh, along with various Hindu organisations, will stage protests and demonstrations outside cinema halls in Delhi and other states.

"If any concerns arise during the screening, we would request that the filmmakers consider making the necessary corrections. If they choose not to arrange such a screening, there is little we can do. We are not the certifying authority, but we will certainly raise objections if we believe the film distorts the scriptures," he concluded.

About Ramayana

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is a two-part epic film with a reported combined budget of ₹4,000 crore. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Yash as Ravana. The film's trailer was recently released and received praise from audiences and critics alike, especially for its VFX.

The first part is scheduled to release in cinemas worldwide on Diwali 2026, with the second part set to arrive in 2027.