The release of the highly anticipated teaser for Nitesh Tiwari’s magnum opus, Ramayana, has ignited a firestorm of digital debate. While fans across the globe celebrated the first glimpse of Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, a cryptic social media post by veteran filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has left the industry and netizens questioning if the director was taking a subtle swipe at the big-budget project. ‘Ramayana’ Teaser: Ranbir Kapoor Looks Divine and Majestic As ‘Maryada Purushottam’ Ram in Epic First Look (Watch Video).

Did Sanjay Gupta Take a Shot at Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ Teaser?

On April 2, shortly after the 2-minute and 38-second teaser titled ‘Rama’ was unveiled, Sanjay Gupta took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a brief but pointed Hindi proverb: "KHODA PAHAAD… NIKLA CHUHA" (Dug up a mountain, found a mouse).

Filmmaker Sanjay Gupta Takes a Swipe at Ranbir Kapoor’s ‘Ramayana’ Teaser?

The idiom is traditionally used to describe a situation where immense effort or massive hype leads to an underwhelming or insignificant result. Although Gupta did not explicitly name the film, the timing of his post, coming just as Ramayana began trending worldwide, led many to conclude that the comment was directed at Tiwari’s mythological epic.

Social media users were quick to react, with many criticising Gupta for his perceived lack of professional courtesy. Some pointed out the irony of a filmmaker judging a movie designed for IMAX based on a mobile-viewed teaser, while others defended the director, agreeing that the VFX and casting did not meet the "gigantic expectations" set by the producers.

This is not the first time Gupta has been suspected of targeting Ramayana. Earlier this year, after producer Namit Malhotra revealed the film’s staggering budget of approximately INR 4,000 crore, Gupta shared a post highlighting legendary franchises like The Lord of the Rings and Avatar.

In that post, he noted that those films let their "groundbreaking work speak for itself" rather than boasting about technicalities before release. These recurring comments have fueled a narrative of a professional rift or, at the very least, a deep scepticism from the Kaante director regarding the current trend of high-budget VFX spectacles in Indian cinema.

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The ‘Ramayana’ Spectacle

Despite the controversy, the Ramayana teaser has largely dominated the cultural conversation today. Director Nitesh Tiwari, known for Dangal, revealed that the project has been seven years in the making. The cast includes Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Sunny Deol as Hanuman.  The film is planned as a two-part saga, with Part 1 scheduled for Diwali 2026 and Part 2 for Diwali 2027. ‘Ramayana’ Teaser Reactions: Netizens in Awe of Ranbir Kapoor’s Lord Rama Avatar, CGI Draws ‘Adipurush’ Comparisons (Watch Video).

While industry stalwarts like Karan Johar and Siddharth Anand have praised the teaser for its "regal grace" and "visual scale," a section of the audience remains wary. Critics on social media have voiced concerns that some VFX shots appear "AI-generated" or "cartoonish," drawing inevitable and often unfavourable comparisons to previous mythological attempts like Adipurush.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 02, 2026 04:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).