At a Hyderabad event for Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, Yash made an unusual request: watch the epic with an open mind and don’t go looking for small faults in its visual effects. The actor-producer, who plays Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s two-part adaptation, argued that the film represents a rare chance to put Indian cinema on a global stage. Large parts of the internet answered that a Rs 4,000 crore spectacle should be asking for more scrutiny, not less.
The appeal
Yash tied the request to Namit Malhotra’s personal risk. “He has gambled his reputation and money to put this film on a global platform,” Yash said, adding that if audiences “lose people like him,” Indian cinema would “go back in time.” He asked viewers to judge the film with an open mind and, if they liked it, to “come together and show the world.”
The two films are being made on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, and Yash argued that only a few people have Malhotra’s “passion, dedication, determination and madness.” “As an Indian, I am telling you, we need to protect this guy,” he said.
Why the backlash landed
The pushback was immediate. For a growing section of the audience, the request misread the room. Indian viewers now have world-class cinema and series available on OTT, so the visual benchmark is global, not local. A premium theatrical ticket strengthens the audience’s right to judge rather than suspending it. Several responses made that point plainly: a viewer paying Rs 500 has every reason to criticise, and taking Indian cinema to the world is the filmmakers’ responsibility, not the audience’s.
The more damaging reading was about confidence. Critics of the appeal said asking for leniency before release looked like the team had less confidence in the content itself, and that the film should be sold on its craft rather than on patriotic duty.
- The OTT benchmark: viewers compare Ramayana’s VFX with the best international films and series they already watch at home.
- The ticket contract: a big-screen spectacle sold at full price invites full scrutiny.
- The confidence question: a request for leniency was read as a signal that the makers are unsure of the finished frames.
What it means before November 5
Yash’s appeal has now placed the VFX conversation ahead of the film’s release. The team has a thin line to walk: it wants the scale and ambition to be taken seriously, but the request has shifted attention onto the very flaws it hoped to pre-empt. Yash noted that Malhotra has accepted feedback and criticism in the past; the next test is whether the finished visuals make that case better than any appeal from a stage.
The episode is a reminder that audience goodwill is earned in the theatre, not borrowed in advance. A film aiming for the global stage can ask for attention. It cannot ask paying viewers to lower the standard they judge it by.
Source: India Today
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