With talk of artificial intelligence threatening to colour the reception of Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, director Nitesh Tiwari has moved to settle the matter, stating that human dubbing artists voiced the film and that AI played no part beyond aligning lip movements to dialogue. The clarification came around the world premiere in Los Angeles on October 27, where Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Yash turned up alongside Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra. The statement follows reports that a few critics dropped their premiere screening plans, believing the voices had been generated by AI.
“No AI has been used in dubbing,” Tiwari said in a clip from the event, adding that AI was “only used for lip syncing.”
The concern was first flagged publicly by film reviewer Parth Chaturvedi, who wrote on X that the cancellations stemmed from a misunderstanding. Chaturvedi stated that the dialogues were recorded by real performers and that the tool, identified as Brahma AI, handled only lip-sync work. He urged Sony Pictures to roll out an international awareness effort, arguing that rising hostility towards AI-generated material in cinema could hurt the film if the confusion is left unaddressed. Chaturvedi also tagged Malhotra in the post.
Inside the venue, the mood was far more celebratory. Footage from the evening showed a full auditorium, with international celebrities and members of the press in attendance. Ranbir, who plays Lord Rama, arrived in a cream jacket with a woven texture and dark trousers. Sai Pallavi, cast as Sita, chose a blush-pink saree with silver detailing. Yash, playing Ravana, went with an all-black look, finished with a gold brooch.
Crowds outside made their presence felt. Fans shouted out the name of Yash’s character as the actor walked the red carpet with his wife, while Ranbir was greeted with cries of his initials. Both actors, along with Sai Pallavi, paused for photographers, spoke to reporters and posed for selfies.
Yash used the occasion to speak about identity and origins. “Where you come from will never stop how far you can go,” he said in a clip from the premiere, adding that he took pride in being both an Indian and a Kannadiga.
Ramayana is a two-part epic directed by Tiwari and produced by Malhotra. The first part opens in cinemas worldwide on November 5, with paid previews a day earlier on November 4.