Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana First Glimpse Premiere In America Before India Irks Netizens, Namit Malhotra And Nitesh Tiwari Accused Of 'Pandering' To NRIs

Ranbir Kapoor starrer Ramayana has courted a minor controversy ahead of the first glimpse unveiling of the film on April 2. The makers of the magnum opus debut the visual asset of the movie in Los Angeles on March 31. However, the premiere in the United States of America was before it was debuted for Indian cinegoers, which did not sit well with a section of social media.  

Producer only wants to make money to disrespect: Netizens flag concerns after Ramayana promo launch 

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana is being touted as India's most expensive movie. Scheduled to release as a duology, the first part will hit the big screens on Diwali 2026 and is one of the most-awaited movies of the year. Amid the massive hype and excitement, the makers announced the unveiling of Ranbir Kapoor's character Lord Ram in a video asset from the movie.

The video debuted in LA on March 31, and social media has been abuzz with conversation about it ever since. Netizens who attended the event have shared positive feedback, teasing the massive scale of the production. However, no visual has been shared online yet, due to an embargo put in place until India screening of the glimpse.

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As soon as the reviews began flooding on social media, a section began raising questions about the makers' promotional approach. Several argued that Ramayana is a product of India and therefore domestic cinegoers should have gotten the first view. Others accused the producer, Namit Malhotra, of being ‘money hungry’ and debuting the first look in LA only to get big business from overseas while ignoring Indian cinegoers. Some even accused the makers of ‘pandering’ and noted that the LA event is a ‘massive disrespect’ to Indians.

The makers are yet to react to these accusations. Ramayana's first glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram will premiere in India on April 2, on the ocassion of Hanuman Jayanti. 

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