Ramayana 2026 teaser: Bollywood fan ‘fixes’ Ranbir Kapoor’s scene with AI; social media reacts, ‘Don’t be lame’

A viral social media post has triggered debate over visual effects in the upcoming film Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. A Bollywood fan apparently ‘fixed’ VFX issues with the Bollywood project.

The post, shared by user Mahika Jadhav on X, claims to have “fixed basic physics” in a still from the film using AI tools within minutes. It compares two images, one from the film and another edited version. The user highlights differences in elements such as dust movement, wind direction, hair response and lighting during a storm scene.

According to the user, the original still lacks realistic physical behaviour, with dust not sticking and wind appearing directionless. Lighting does not interact naturally with the environment, either in the original still.

The edited version tries to correct these by aligning hair with the wind flow. It adds particle-skin interactions and improves light scattering in dust.

“I fixed basic physics, which a 4000 Cr film couldn't. Did this in 2-3 mins, thanks AI,” the user wrote.

The post has gained significant traction online, drawing mixed reactions. So far, it has garnered 645.8K views.

“If physics could be ‘fixed in 2 mins’, VFX studios wouldn’t exist. Don’t be lame,” reacted one user.

“How funny that just because you edited a photo with Gemini (or whatever) ....you feel that you can fix the basic physics....try to do the same in a 2-3 min clip and then you'd find out why they didn't do it....or maybe still doing it,” commented another user.

One user commented, “With a few prompts, anyone can do this in a photo. Try doing this for a video and show us how much you ‘fixed’.”

Another user wrote, “I am pretty sure, DNEG would not be depending on some AI tool for particle simulation for dust and wind.”

DNEG, the visual effects studio behind Ramayana, has won 8 Academy Awards so far. It won the Oscars for Dune: Part One (2022) and Part Two (2025), Tenet (2021), First Man (2019), Blade Runner 2049 (2018), Ex Machina (2016) and Interstellar (2015). The studio won its first Black Lady in 2011 for Inception.

Ramayana movie teaser

Ramayana makers, led by director Nitesh Tiwari, received a mixed response after the release of its teaser on 2 April. While many praised the film’s scale and Ranbir Kapoor’s calm portrayal of Lord Ram, several concerns have been raised online.

The biggest criticism is around VFX. Some viewers say certain scenes look like video game graphics or feel artificial. A few even feel some visuals look AI-generated and lack emotional depth.

Casting has also been debated. While Ranbir Kapoor’s look is appreciated by many, some feel he appears slightly older for the role. Sunny Deol’s casting as Hanuman has also received mixed reactions.

Technical issues have gone viral, including colour inconsistencies in costumes, frame drops and uneven slow-motion shots. Some fans are also unhappy that the teaser was launched in Los Angeles rather than in India.

In response, Hrithik Roshan has said stylised visuals should not always be judged as realistic. Industry experts claim that teaser visuals are often unfinished, with enough time left before the Diwali 2026 release.