the teaser of Nitesh Tiwari‘s Ramayana protagonist Ranbir Kapoor has sparked a divided response, with a section of social media criticizing its VFX as “video game-like”. In the midst of constant debate, Hrithik Roshan has come out in favor of the filmmakers, asking the audience to watch the visual effects with more awareness.
“Bad VFX do exist…but so does visuals”
Taking to Instagram, Hrithik admitted that poor VFX can be disappointing, but insisted that the intent and scale of the filmmaking should also be acknowledged.“Yes, bad VFX does exist. Sometimes it’s so bad it’s painful to watch. Especially for me… and especially when it’s a movie I’m a part of,” he wrote.However, he quickly shifted his focus to the effort behind such projects. “There are some special people among us today, like the authors of the films Kalki, BaahubaliRamayana…they are my heroes. They have the courage and vision to do what has never been done before, all because of the love of cinema.”Reflecting on his childhood inspiration in films like Back to the Future, Hrithik highlighted the larger purpose behind the ambitious VFX-heavy film.“To me that is noble. The ambition itself deserves applause! I am proud of my fellow Indians. I would give anything to be a part of such dreams even as a supporter,” he shared.
“You may like one style over another, but that’s okay”
Responding to the criticism surrounding Ramayana, Hrithik explained that not all VFX should be photorealistic.“In my little understanding… there are different VFX styles adopted by the creators to bring their vision to life,” he wrote.“You may like one style over the other, but neither is wrong,” he added, comparing them to animation styles and cinematic choices in movies.The actor went on to define what he considers poor visual effects.“If a bad VFX movie promises ‘photorealism’ but can’t quite live it up… Or the promise is storybook style, but they fail to make it beautiful enough,” he explains.“But to say that the storybook style doesn’t look photorealistic isn’t fair. It’s not meant to be.”
‘Maybe it’s just a style you didn’t expect?’
Hrithik ended his remarks by asking the audience to rethink how they review movies.“So sometimes when you say ‘bad VFX’ maybe it’s just a style you didn’t expect?” he wrote.“So next time don’t just ask, ‘Is it real?’ First, ask, ‘Is it right for the story?’… Discuss. But debate conscientiously.’Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash Ravana, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.Ramayana: Part I is slated for a grand Diwali release this year.
