New Delhi, May 8 -- Despite betting on VFX-driven, high-budget spectacles to lure audiences in droves to cinemas, Bollywood has largely been unable to crack the visual effects game.

This was particularly evident in the recent criticism of the trailer for the first instalment of the mega-budget, two-part Ramayana franchise. The major criticism was that despite a reported Rs.4,000 crore production budget, the visual effects seemed artificial and video game-like, and that they appeared 'too digital' and lacked soul.

Experts said not only are Indian movie budgets much lower than in Hollywood, but Indian studios and producers also often handle visual effects in a rushed manner during post-production. Other than Ramayana, in the past few year...