New Delhi, Nov. 5 -- For generations, the Ramayana was a Sunday morning television ritual. But today, November 5, the epic has reached new heights as Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor steps into the role of Lord Ram, carrying that formidable legacy with a cinematic adaptation of unprecedented scope.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and featuring Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Yash as Ravana, the film is backed by a staggering Rs.4,000-crore investment covering two instalments and a massive global rollout.

Tiwari, however, faces a unique challenge: recreating a beloved epic for an audience that already holds deeply entrenched memories of how its deities should look, speak, and behave.

While expensive visual effects can build Ayodhya and Lanka, win...