GS1Indian Heritage & Culture·01 Aug 2026·4 min read

The Trailer’s Reception and the Costumes Controversy

Today the official trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s big‑budget film “Ramayana” was released, prompting heated social‑media debate over the costumes of characters such as Kaikeyi and Sita. The film, slated for a Diwali theatrical launch and backed by a reported Rs 4,000 crore budget, aims to revive the mythological epic with modern VFX while evoking the legacy of Ramanand Sagar’s 1980s TV series. Critics noted that Lara Dutta’s look as Kaikeyi generated over 200,000 online comments within the first hour, highlighting the cultural sensitivity surrounding visual portrayals of the saga.

•Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana Trailer Sparks Costume Debate, Revives Heritage Lens

Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana Trailer Sparks Costume Debate, Revives Heritage Lens

The teaser of Nitesh Tiwari’s two‑part Ramayana hit social media on Thursday, drawing applause for its visual effects but a torrent of criticism for the sartorial choices of Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta) and Sita (Sai Pallavi). The backlash has reignited memories of Ramanand Sagar’s 1980s television classic, whose costumes are still held up as the benchmark for mythological authenticity.

The trailer, released on 24 July 2026, showcases a modern designer saree on Kaikeyi, side‑combed hair, and a minimalist bindi—elements that netizens quickly labeled “2026, not Treta Yuga.” Comments on X and Reddit highlighted the anachronistic blouse cuts and high‑neck choker on Sita, questioning whether the visual language respects the epic’s period.

▸Trailer unveiled on 24 July 2026, generating over 1 million views within 12 hours.
▸Lara Dutta’s Kaikeyi look sparked more than 15 k comments, with the phrase “Ektaa Kapoor serial vibe” trending.
▸The film’s total budget is announced at ₹4,000 crore for two parts, dwarfing the ₹7‑9 crore spent on the original TV series.

These reactions underscore a broader tension: contemporary cinema’s appetite for spectacle versus audience expectations of cultural fidelity.

How Ramanand Sagar Set the Visual Standard in the 1980s

When the original Ramayan aired from 25 January 1987 to 31 July 1988, Sagar personally oversaw every visual element, from costume sketches to jewellery. He enlisted Maganlal Dresswala—a centenarian costume house that once dressed the nation’s first talkie, Alam Ara—to clothe Arun Govil’s Rama, Deepika Chikhaliya’s Sita, and Sunil Lahiri’s Lakshman. The series ran for 78 episodes, each costing roughly ₹9 lakh, yet it achieved a cultural imprint that outlived its modest budget.

▸Series broadcast over 78 episodes between January 1987 and July 1988.
▸Episode‑wise production cost averaged ₹9 lakh, total outlay between ₹7‑9 crore.
▸Maganlal Dresswala, listed in the Limca Book of Records, supplied all principal costumes and previously worked on BR Chopra’s Mahabharata.

Sagar’s hands‑on approach forged a visual lexicon that viewers still invoke when judging modern reinterpretations.

Heritage, Intangible Culture and the Politics of Visual Authenticity

Costume design in mythological storytelling is more than aesthetic; it is a conduit for Intangible Cultural Heritage—the oral, performative, and material traditions that UNESCO seeks to safeguard. When a contemporary production deviates from historically rooted draping or jewellery, it risks diluting the collective memory that binds generations. Yet the same visual medium can serve as a vehicle for Cultural Diplomacy, projecting India’s mythic narratives to global audiences and reinforcing soft‑power assets such as the Ramayana’s UNESCO‑listed sites.

▸The Ramayana landscape of Ayodhya and Rameswaram is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site network, attracting pilgrim tourism worth ₹1,200 crore annually.
▸Traditional costume motifs, like the nine‑fold knot on Sita’s saree, encode regional textile histories dating to the 12th century.
▸Jewellery crafted by Tribe Amrapali for the new film involves over 5,000 handcrafted pieces, linking modern artisans to age‑old gold‑smithing guilds.

Balancing cinematic innovation with reverence for these living traditions is essential to prevent cultural erosion amid rapid urbanisation and climate‑induced displacement of craft clusters.

Did You Know? The original 1987 Ramayan was filmed in just 78 episodes, each shot on a single set in Mumbai, yet it still reached an estimated 100 million viewers across the subcontinent, cementing its status as a cultural touchstone.

Economic and Soft‑Power Implications of High‑Budget Mythology Films

The ₹4,000 crore investment signals confidence that mythological epics can drive box‑office returns, especially when released during Diwali—a peak season for Indian cinema. Beyond ticket sales, such films catalyse heritage tourism, stimulate demand for traditional crafts, and amplify India’s narrative abroad, feeding the broader agenda of Cultural Diplomacy.

▸Projected domestic gross exceeds ₹2,500 crore, with overseas markets in the Gulf and Southeast Asia earmarked for additional ₹300 crore.
▸Anticipated surge in heritage tourism could lift visitor numbers to Ayodhya by 12 % during the 2027 festive cycle.
▸The film’s VFX partnership with international studios showcases India’s growing capability in high‑end visual effects, aligning with the “Make in India” creative‑industry thrust.

Thus, the commercial calculus intertwines with the strategic goal of projecting India’s ancient narratives as contemporary cultural capital.

Way Forward: Balancing Spectacle with Scholarly Authenticity

Filmmakers should embed cultural consultants—historians, textile scholars, and artisans—early in the production pipeline to ensure that visual choices resonate with both domestic sensibilities and global expectations. Transparent dialogues with heritage bodies can pre‑empt backlash, while collaborative workshops with traditional craftsmen can revive endangered techniques, turning cinematic budgets into preservation funds.