New Delhi: The trailer of Ramayana, touted to be one of the most expensive productions to come out from India, released Thursday with the promise of a theatrical extravaganza that will combine cutting-edge special effects with the age-old story of the war between good and evil.
The four-minute trailer opens with Ravana, played by South superstar Yash, before moving on to Ram, portrayed by Ranbir Kapoor in his most ambitious role yet.
Made on a reported budget of Rs 4,000 crore, the two-part saga is directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal fame and has been produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and eight-time Academy Award-winning VFX studio DNEG, in association with actor Yash’s Monster Mind Creations.
The trailer opens with Yash’s Ravana fighting his way to become as one of the most powerful kings on Earth before cutting to Dashrath, the king of Ayodhya.
Ranbir’s Ram enters the frame as a blindfolded archer practising his target. He is announced as the next king and wins Sita’s (Sai Pallavi) hand in a ‘swyamvar’, but the celebrations take a turn when his stepmother Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta) demands that he be exiled for 14 years.
The trailer then cuts to Ram, Lakshman (Ravie Dubey) and Sita’s years in exile as they encounter all kinds of monsters and have a run-in with Suparnakha, Ravana’s sister who is played by Rakul Preet Singh.
After her fight with Lakshman, Ravana promises to avenge her by kidnapping Sita. The trailer ends with Ram declaring that he will defeat Ravana and bring back his wife.
Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, but he is not shown in the trailer. He will probably make an appearance either at the end of the first part or in the second part of the movie.
“Ramayana: Part One” will release worldwide Diwali 2026, with global distribution by Sony Pictures and North India distribution by Dharma Productions.
The other cast in the movie include Ajinkya Deo in the role of sage Vishwamitra; Kunal Kapoor as lord Indra.
The movie is written by Shridhar Raghavan, who is known for hits such as Pathaan, War and The Night Manager. The music is composed by Oscar-winning music composers A R Rahman and Hans Zimmer, known for his work on Hollywood blockbusters such as The Lion King, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Dunkirk, Interstellar and the Dune series.
“The Ramayana is not just one of our greatest epics; it is part of how we live, celebrate and pass on our values from one generation to the next. Every year, Dussehra and Diwali remind us that its message continues to guide millions through the triumph of light over darkness and righteousness over evil.
“Very few stories continue to shape everyday life thousands of years after they were first told. The Ramayana does,” Malhotra said in a statement.
Malhotra said he always believed that India’s greatest stories deserve to be experienced on the world’s biggest stage.
“Today, we finally have the artists, the technology, the craftsmanship and the collective ambition to present this extraordinary cultural legacy to audiences everywhere with the authenticity, scale and cinematic excellence it deserves. This is not simply the beginning of a film. It is the beginning of a journey to celebrate India’s cultural richness with the world. India has always lived this story. It is now our privilege to share it with the world.”
Tiwari said as a director his responsibility was to approach the story with complete honesty. He said it was a privilege of a lifetime to work alongside some of the world’s finest artists, technicians and storytellers on the movie.
“The Ramayana is one of the greatest stories ever told, not because of its scale, but because of the timeless values it represents. As a filmmaker, I never felt the responsibility to make it universal, it already is. My responsibility has been to approach it with complete honesty, authenticity and reverence.
“Every creative decision we have made – from the writing and performances to the production design, music, visual effects and every frame on screen, has been guided by a single thought: to honour this extraordinary legacy with the dignity and respect it deserves while presenting it through the finest cinematic craftsmanship possible.”
At a Delhi event recently, Malhotra said over 10,000 people have contributed to the making of the film from different parts of the world.
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