Nitesh Tiwari's mythological epic Ramayana has drawn attention for its significant differences between the original Hindi version and the English-dubbed international cut. The English version is approximately 30 minutes shorter, as several important scenes, musical sequences and narrative details have been removed, according to a review by IndieWire.
The Hindi version has a runtime of approximately three hours and 15 minutes, while the English version runs for around two hours and 46 minutes. While the first two hours are nearly identical, the shorter international version cuts key scenes that add emotional depth and narrative context to better suit global viewing preferences.
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Among the notable omissions are scenes from Rama and Sita's wedding, including sequences showing Rama's three brothers interacting with women at the palace and their respective wedding ceremonies. Another significant change involves Bharat's meeting with Rama, in which he informs him about their father's death. The sequence is reportedly missing from the English version, creating a gap in the narrative, as the full context is only revealed towards the story's conclusion.
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The English version has also reportedly removed songs and other scenes, which IndieWire suggests could affect the overall storytelling experience.
The report also highlights differences in the dubbing and sound presentation. While the Hindi version features more natural vocal reverberation and emotionally grounded performances, the English cut reportedly suffers from restricted, studio-style dialogue mixing. The translated dialogue has also been criticised for sounding unnatural and emotionally restrained.
Another concern raised in the review is the use of AI-assisted lip-syncing to match the actors' mouth movements with the English dialogue. The technology reportedly produces exaggerated mouth movements and gives certain scenes an artificial, stilted appearance.
Despite these shortcomings, the film was awarded a 'B' grade by IndieWire, which acknowledged director Nitesh Tiwari's achievement in bringing the large-scale mythological epic to the screen with impressive production values and visual grandeur.
The contrast between the two cuts has sparked questions over whether trimming the film for global viewers undermines its narrative flow. While the streamlined English version makes for a shorter viewing experience, the original Hindi release preserves the full depth of the storytelling, character performances and emotional nuance.
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