The Hindu epic Ramayana has long been a favourite to draw inspiration from for filmmakers, artists, and storytellers in general, and understandably so. The Ramayana story has everything that makes for an engrossing tale, whether you’re a devout follower who looks at the epic for its religious significance or an absolute stranger hearing the story for the first time.
Bollywood is no different. Filmmakers have long been enamoured by the Ramayana story and have explored a variety of themes related to the epic. The last attempt we saw on the big screen was the Prabhas and Kriti Sanon starrer Adipurush. The much-awaited film, however, not only tanked at the box office, but it was also mocked for the rather haphazard attempt at CGI, leaving fans a little disappointed. Shortly after, rumours started doing the rounds that filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari was attempting a storyline based on the epic, and a brand new Ramayana movie was in the works. The news quite divided the internet, because the naysayers were sceptical about yet another lacklustre adaptation hitting the big screens, and yet, the idea of Dangal director teaming up with Ranbir Kapoor was tickling the fantasy of many.
If you were in the latter group, this news should make you very excited. Filmmaker Namit Malhotra has released the official teaser for the much-anticipated mythological epic Ramayana, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash, in a stunning first glimpse that has gone viral online. The images are stunning to say the least, and the upcoming Ramayana movie cast also promises quite a punch. All three of the major actors in the cast of Ramayana film are powerful performers, and are further joined by Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Lara Dutta is also rumoured to be a part, though the teaser didn’t mention her. Ranbir Kapoor brings alive Rama, Yash will be seen playing Ravana, and Sai Pallavi essays the role of Sita.
While you might be enamoured by the big names in the cast of Ramayana movie, there are bigger names working behind the scenes. The audience is going to be taken for what seems a ride of their lifetimes with Hans Zimmer and AR Rehman collaborating on the score. It has been written by National Award-winning screenplay writer Shridhar Raghavan, who has also been behind many big hits like Pathaan, War series, and more. The absolutely stunning VFX for the Ramayana movie are done by the eight-time Academy Award-winning visual effects company DNEG. Talk about bringing your A game!
Producer Namit Malhotra, in his Instagram post sharing the first look of the movie, called it ten years of aspiration, and if the visuals are anything to go by, it seems to have paid off. The Ramayana movie release is in two parts, the first releasing on Diwali 2026, and the second to hit the theatres by Diwali 2027. The teaser launched seems to be for Ramayana 2026. The details are immaculate, and if you look closely, the Hindi title for Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana is Rāmāyaṇam, which seems to have delighted many fans in the comments section.
After the 1992 Indo-Japanese collaboration that resulted in the very beloved anime film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, and the 1987 TV Series Ramayan, there has been little that has matched the grandeur of the tale. Most adaptations have either been half-assed attempts or have landed terribly with the audiences, which is why the reaction to Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana teaser is a big news.