Shankar: Yash’s Ravana a lovable villain; film hits ₹221.05 crore
Tamil director Shankar calls Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana a spectacle and Yash's Ravana a lovable villain, as the film posts ₹221 crore worldwide in two days.
Tamil director Shankar has joined the conversation around Ramayana, and his verdict is the kind of endorsement money cannot buy. The filmmaker behind 2.0 and Indian 2 watched Nitesh Tiwari’s Diwali release, which hit screens on November 5, and took to X with a glowing review.
For an industry still debating whether Indian visual effects can stand beside the best of Hollywood, Shankar’s words land hard. “Never seen visuals like this in Indian cinema,” he wrote, calling the film a spectacle.
What Shankar loved
The director spread his praise across the people who built the film’s world:
- Visuals and production: “brilliant VFX, rich production values, superb look and feel”
- Music: AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, with “massive sound”
- Yash: “such a lovable villain”
- The team: “making Indian cinema proud”
He credited producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari for taking “Indian cinema to international standards” — a phrase that carries extra weight when Rahman has scored several of Shankar’s own films, from Gentleman to 2.0.
The ‘lovable villain’ gamble
Shankar’s warmest praise was reserved for Yash. “It’s a delight to watch @TheNameIsYash in every frame,” he wrote. “He is such a lovable villain and has delivered a quality performance.”
That framing matters, because Ramayana part one is built around Ravana. The film opens with the demon king’s backstory and moves toward Sita’s abduction after the fight with Jatayu, voiced by Anupam Kher. It also covers Ram’s childhood, his marriage to Sita and the circumstances of his 14-year exile. A villain audiences can feel for, not just fear, is exactly the risk the film took by casting a KGF-era Yash in the role. Shankar’s review suggests the bet has paid off.
Director Nitesh Tiwari responded in the comments with folded-hands emojis and a simple “Thanks a lot sir.”
Where the box office stands
The glowing words arrive alongside solid numbers. Ramayana has collected ₹112.90 crore net in India and ₹221.05 crore worldwide in its first two days, released in Hindi and all South Indian languages in 2D, 3D and other formats. Reviews have been mixed, so a name like Shankar could nudge fence-sitters as the opening weekend plays out.
The two-part structure means the studio is playing a long game. Part one is as much about building Ravana’s world as it is about Ram, and the tease of Sunny Deol as Hanuman at the end is a deliberate hook for the second instalment, where he will join the main cast.
The cast also includes Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanaka, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari. The takeaway for fans is simple: if a director known for grand visual cinema says Indian screens have never looked like this, it is worth seeing on the biggest format you can find.
Source: Hindustan Times
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