Ramayana Part 1 Review: US Critic Priya Mathew Slams AI Dubbing, Says RRR Is Better

Ramayan part 1 Review by US critic

 

The hype around the $250 million cinematic adaptation of the Ramayana is unprecedented. With a massive global rollout, the makers have been hosting special screenings for international press. Recently, US-based critic Priya Mathew (@pmathew814) took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her unfiltered thoughts on Ramayana (Part 1).

Her review is a fascinating mix of praise for the emotional core of the film and sharp criticism of the technical choices made for the international market. From a controversial AI-generated English dub to a surprising comparison with SS Rajamouli’s RRR, here is the full breakdown of her review.

The English Dub Controversy: Gen AI and Missing 30 Minutes

The most glaring issue Mathew highlighted was the version she was made to watch. According to her thread, Sony is only screening the English dub for press in the US. Fellow critic Siddhant Adlakha had already warned audiences that this English version is lip-synced using Gen AI and is roughly 30 minutes shorter than the original Hindi cut.

Ramayana Part 1 Review by US Critic Priya Mathew

Mathew confirmed this, stating that she specifically conveyed her displeasure to Sony. "I would much prefer to see films in their original language, in this case, Hindi, which I understand anyway," she wrote. She noted that she hasn't seen the Hindi version yet, but the English dub felt like a disservice to the film's original pacing.

VFX and CGI: Impressive, But Plagued by AI

When asked if the film felt like a Hollywood production given its massive budget, Mathew offered a balanced perspective. While she found the VFX impressive overall, she felt that some of the action sequences looked suspiciously like AI. "I felt some of the action sequences looked like AI which I did not like," she tweeted.

She also drew a comparison to Hollywood epics like The Odyssey, noting that while Ramayana is visually grand, the execution didn't entirely match the level of an all-star Hollywood director’s work.

AR Rahman vs. Hans Zimmer: Who Wins?

One of the most interesting takeaways from her review is the music. The film features a legendary collaboration between AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Mathew admitted to loving the music, but she had a clear favorite: "I liked the Indian score/music by AR Rahman much more than the parts Hans Zimmer scored."

She also noted that the English version cut out some of the songs entirely, which likely impacted the overall experience. Despite this, she felt deeply connected to the core story, praising it as "emotional and powerful," and highly appreciated the Indian-rooted feel of the narrative.

Ramayana vs. RRR: Which Is Better?

When pressed by a follower on whether the film lived up to the hype, Mathew made a bold statement. "I enjoyed the Ramayana but thought RRR, for instance, was a better film."

She elaborated that she liked the story, acting, VFX, and music in RRR better than in Ramayana. However, she did point out a shared frustration: the dubbing problem. She noted that she has never been able to watch RRR in its original Telugu form in the US and has had to rely on the Hindi dubbed version.
The Verdict

Despite her issues with the AI-enhanced dubbing and the cut songs, Priya Mathew's review makes one thing clear: the emotional core of the Ramayana is intact. It is a visually impressive, emotionally powerful retelling of an ancient epic. However, for international audiences who appreciate authentic cinema, the forced English dub remains a major hurdle.

For purists, the wait for the original Hindi version - with AR Rahman’s full score intact - is well worth it.