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Ramayana:2026 is an upcoming epic mythological film directed by Nitesh Tiwari[3][4][5] and written by Shridhar Raghavan. It is based on the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. Produced by Namit Malhotra under Prime Focus Studios, it is intended as the first instalment in a planned two-part film series.[4][6] The project has been reported to have a combined budget of approximately ₹4,000 crore, making it among the most expensive pan-Indian film in productions [7][8]. The film features an ensemble cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Ravi Dubey, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, and Yash in the lead roles,[6] alongside Amitabh Bachchan[9], Arun Govil, Anil Kapoor, Indira Krishnan, Rakul Preet Singh, and Lara Dutta[9].

The film’s background score and songs are being composed by Academy Award–winning composers Hans Zimmer (in his debut Indian project)[10] and A. R. Rahman, respectively.[11][12]. Principal photography for the film commenced in April 2024 in Film City, Mumbai. The film is reported to feature extensive visual effects[13], which are being handled by DNEG[3][14], an Academy Award–winning visual effects studio led by Namit Malhotra and known for its work on films such as Dune and Interstellar.

Ramayana: Part 1 is scheduled to be theatrically released on 6 November 2026, coinciding with the festival of Diwali.

Cast

Production

Development

In May 2017, producers Allu Aravind, Namit Malhotra, and Madhu Mantena announced a live-action feature film trilogy based on the Hindu epic Ramayana.[36] The producers’ plan was to commence filming by 2020 and maintain a relatively short gap between the release of each part. The first installment was scheduled to be released in 2021.[37] Nitesh Tiwari and Ravi Udyawar were hired to co-direct the films in July 2019, and Shridhar Raghavan signed on to write the screenplay.[38] Tiwari & Udyawar said their primary motivation to take up the series was because they felt a sense of responsibility towards their respective children, who according to Tiwari were familiar with the broad outline of the Ramayana but had not engaged with it in its depth. He further cited the significant advancements in visual effects since the 1987-88 Ramayan television series as another motivation to do the series.[39]

Pre-production

In November 2019, Tiwari said that Raghavan had been writing the script for the past three years under the guidance of numerous scholars and pandits who had extensive knowledge of the scripture in a “responsible manner” to make the epic relevant to contemporary audiences.[40] In April 2020, he stated that they were carefully identifying sensitive aspects of the story that should remain untouched, so that they do not cause hurt to possible public sensibilities involved with them, while determining areas where they could take cinematic liberties to enhance the film’s overall viewing experience.[41] He described the film as being technologically prep-heavy, as the magical qualities of the epic, like the talking animals or the enchanted forests mentioned in it, gave them an opportunity to beautifully present a world on screen that, in his view, had not been seen before.[42] As the COVID-19 pandemic led to a nationwide lockdown in India, he continued working on the film series’ script over virtual group calls with team members across the country.[43] In June 2021, Mantena revealed that they were following the process that James Cameron used for Avatar, and that over 200 artists from across the globe had been working on the film for two years, including a few Academy Award winners.[44] In December 2022, he said that the script would be ready in a couple of months, and that they were aiming to start shooting from September 2023.[45] In June 2023, he refuted rumors reports of Ramayana's indefinite postponement, and said that they were going to begin shoot by the end of the year.[46] In March 2024, it was reported that DNEG virtual production had come on board as the producer along side Mantena.[47] In the same month, it was reported that Mantena had stepped back from his role as a producer citing financial concerns.[48] He later got involved in a legal tussle with Malhotra’s Prime Focus Technologies regarding the IP rights of the film, which was ultimately settled when he was provided compensation of ₹80 cr (US$9 million).[48]

Filming

In January 2024, it was reported that Kapoor & Pallavi were expected to commence filming by shooting dialogue-heavy scenes first in March, followed by crowd sequences, including some war portions in April and May.[49] In March, it was reported that the filming had been pushed back to April as the costume and art departments needed some time to perfect the outfits and sets respectively.[50] Principal photography for the first part began on 2 April, in Film City, Mumbai, under the working title God Power, with the first schedule reportedly featuring gurukula sequences involving the child actors portraying the roles of the four princes of Ayodhya and Shishir Sharma’s Vasishtha.[51][52] On 5 April, pictures from the sets, featuring Govil, Dutta and Chaddha and director Tiwari, were leaked on social media and went viral.[53] Due to this, the makers imposed a strict no-phone policy on the movie sets.[54] On 27 April, again pictures from the sets were leaked on social media, this time featuring Kapoor and Pallavi.[55] Soon after, social media began speculating whether the pictures were being leaked by the makers themselves to generate hype and draw public opinion on how the costumes looked on the cast.[56] In August, Terry Notary confirmed that he was working as the action director.[57] Some of the crucial war scenes involving Ravana were shot at Aksa Beach, Mumbai and in a studio in Dahisar in February 2025.[58] Yash went to the Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain before commencing shooting for the film in April 2025.[59] In May 2025, it was announced that stunt director Guy Norris, who had previously worked on films like Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Suicide Squad, had been chosen to choreograph action sequences for the film and was closely working with Yash to accomplish the same.[60] The principal photography for the first part wrapped by 1 July.[61]

Music

The film’s Background music is being composed by Hans Zimmer, and the songs by A. R. Rahman. The film marks the world-famous Hollywood composer Zimmer’s debut as an original score composer in Indian cinema.[10] The first single titled “Ramayana (The Introduction Theme)” was released in its short version on 3 July 2025.[62][63]

All lyrics are written by Kumar Vishwas.

Hindi track listing
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1.“Ramayana (The Introduction Theme)”Hiral Viradia
Arjun Chandy
Karthik Sekaran
Aparna Narayanan
Sireesha Bhagavatula
Sarath Santosh T S
Sreekanth Hariharan		3:00

Marketing

On 6 November 2024, Malhotra officially announced Ramayana: Part 1 and Part 2 through a poster, along with the release dates for both the films.[64][65] Malhotra has repeatedly marketed the film as a global film, presenting an Indian subject but for the world.[66][67] The first glimpse titled “Ramayana: The Introduction” was released on 3 July 2025.[68] The film is being filmed for the IMAX format and is planned for release in IMAX theatres[69]. On 26 March 2026, coinciding with Ram Navami, the makers announced the next phase of the film’s promotional campaign, with the first glimpse set to be released on 2 April 2026[70], coinciding with Hanuman Jayanti. Ahead of its public release, the footage was screened at a special event in Los Angeles on 30 March 2026, attended by producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari, and actor Ranbir Kapoor[71]

Release

The first part of Ramayana is scheduled to be released on 6 November 2026 in India, on the occasion of Diwali, in standard and IMAX formats.[72] The film is planned to be visually dubbed into multiple international languages, including English, Spanish, and Japanese, using AI-driven lip-sync technology to enhance realism.[73]

References

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