Film 'Ramayana' plans largest global release, surpassing 'Avatar 2' record

A major announcement has been made regarding the highly anticipated mythological film 'Ramayana' by director Nitesh Tiwari. The producers have officially confirmed that the film will be released in international cinemas on November 6, 2026. Previously, Sony Pictures released an official English trailer that generated significant interest among viewers.

This trailer is presented as a global project. A particular novelty is that the actors who played Lord Rama (Ranbir Kapoor) and Ravana (Yash) speak English instead of Hindi, which is considered a unique experiment for a film based on an Indian epic.

Usually, dubbing actors are used in regional or international trailers, but this did not happen in the English version of 'Ramayana'. The main actors, including Ranbir Kapoor (Lord Rama), Sai Pallavi (Sita), and Yash (Ravana), recorded their dialogues in English. This allows both international and Indian audiences to experience the stars' performances in their original voices.

Following the trailer's appearance on social media, discussions arose among fans about the possible use of AI to give naturalness to the actors' lip-syncing. Although the producers have not officially confirmed the direct application of artificial intelligence, producer Namit Malhotra previously stated that the crew actively used technology to promote this mythological story globally.

Despite both trailers belonging to the same film, attentive viewers noticed that the English version is not an exact copy of the Hindi version. Some scenes from the Hindi trailer are absent in the English version, which changes the overall viewing impression. Furthermore, the duration was shortened: if the Hindi trailer lasts 4 minutes and 10 seconds, the English version is 3 minutes and 55 seconds. These minor changes led many viewers to note a faster pace in the English trailer, which became a subject of active online discussion.

Bollywood superstar Ranbir Kapoor is actively working on a Ramayana film that will be released in two parts. This epic picture has been in production for several years. The first part was shot a year ago, and the filming of the second part is currently underway. Simultaneously, the first part of the Ramayana film will be shown in theaters, and the film's team is actively promoting it.

Recently, a trailer for the Ramayana film was released, in which viewers saw additional scenes with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama. However, many viewers have expressed dissatisfaction with his casting choice, as well as the fact that the film is being shot entirely on a green screen.

In an interview with The Direct, Ranbir admitted that adapting such a massive story into two parts is a complex task. In his opinion, fully depicting the Ramayana would require a 10-part film. Nevertheless, creating two parts and writing the script to meet this requirement has been a huge challenge. Ranbir expressed gratitude to director Nitish Tiwari and the screenwriters for successfully completing this difficult work.

Ranbir also commented on the idea of giving the film a modern touch. He recalled that several years ago, the film Adipurush was released with a similar concept—created for a new generation. However, this film failed at the box office.

Regarding this idea, Ranbir stated that the most significant change today is only related to the technologies used in creating such films. Furthermore, he believes that the closer the story is to its simplicity and true spirit, the more it touches people's hearts and gains popularity. He added: 'I don't think Ramayana needs to be retold. I believe this epic remains relevant over 4000 years. Lord Rama was a guide for millions of people around the world, and I suppose everything said in it about courage, the victory of good over evil, truth, forgiveness, compassion, and pride is a life lesson.'

Ranbir concluded the conversation with an update on the filming of the second part of the Ramayana film. He reported that the filming of the second part is nearly 50% complete. The second episode promises to be even grander and more engaging, and it will feature a very important role for Hanuman, played by Sani Deol, which Ranbir believes audiences will enjoy.

Ahead of the highly anticipated trailer for 'Ramayana' on July 24th, Deepika Chhulhiya, who played the immortal role of Sita in Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana,' openly shared her opinion on the new project. She discussed Sai Pannavi's participation in the role of Sita, and also commented on Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, and Arun Govil. Furthermore, she talked about how her role as Sita became her defining characteristic but simultaneously impacted her career.

Assessment of Sai Pannavi's Participation

In an interview with Variety India, Deepika stated that she has seen Sai Pannavi's work and considers her an outstanding actress. Nevertheless, she emphasized that it is premature to judge how well she will fit the role of Sita. She recalled that Tulsidas's description of Sita from 'Ramayana' mentions her eyes, height, hair, and appearance. Ramanagan Sagar was looking for exactly such a Sita, and he saw her in her. She added that the other actors are good if they match the character.

Influence of the Old 'Ramayana'

Deepika noted that Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana' still lives in people's hearts, and this will certainly be reflected in the new film. She admitted that today she is known more by the name Sita than by her own name, and this has become her identity. Although any artist wants to play different roles, no one wishes to remain forever in one character. She warned that the influence of their 'Ramayana' will be very strong on this new film. Even after her being shown in reruns on Doordarshan during the coronavirus pandemic, the new generation saw her, and it will not be easy to erase that 'Ramayana' from people's minds. According to her memory, the original 'Ramayana' never mentioned Sita having curly hair.

The Price of the Role of Sita's Popularity

Deepika explained that the immense popularity of the role of Sita turned into a problem for her. After 'Ramayana,' she stopped receiving offers, and she is still forced to ask for work. She mentioned that Ranbir Kapoor, having acted in films like 'Barfi,' 'Sanju,' and 'Animal,' is now playing Lord Rama. She noted that times have changed: previously, artists were often limited to one type of role. Now, people find it difficult to imagine her in any other role, which prompted her to move into production.

Expectations from New Actors

Regarding Yash, Deepika expressed confidence in his ability to convincingly play Ravana, although she stressed that the audience's emotional connection still belongs to Ramanagan Sagar's 'Ramayana.' She said she had seen some of Yash's work and is confident that he will look powerful in the role of Ravana. However, she believes it is very difficult to erase the old 'Ramayana' from people's memory. If this film were released 50 years from now, perhaps people would forget the old cast, but right now these memories are fresh.

Message to the Team and Project Details

Wishing luck to the entire film team, Deepika noted that all participants are extremely talented, and she is confident that audiences will want to watch this film at least once. She named the main strength of their 'Ramayana' as the fact that every actor perfectly matched their character. She also mentioned that the music by Ravindra Jain was an important reason for its success. The new project, directed by Nitish Tiwari, will be released in two parts. In it, Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Rama, Sai Pannavi will play Mata Sita, and Yash will play Ravana. Besides them, Sani Deol (Hanuman), Ravi Dubey (Lakshman), Arun Govil (Dasharath), Lara Datta, Rakul Preet Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Shiba Chadha, and Adinath Kotare will also take part in important roles. This mega-project with a budget of around 4000 crore rupees has merged the music of Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman for the first time. 'Ramayana: Part 1' will be released in theaters in December 2026, and 'Part 2' in December 2027.