Ranbir Kapoor and Yash Star in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1

The highly anticipated mythological epic Ramayana: Part 1, also known as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, arrives in cinemas worldwide on November 5. Directed by filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari and backed by producer Namit Malhotra, the film brings the classic Indian epic to the big screen with a massive budget and groundbreaking visual effects handled by DNEG.

The film features an ensemble cast led by Ranbir Kapoor in the role of Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The cast also includes Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman, Arun Govil as King Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Queen Kaikeyi, and Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha. In addition to playing Lord Rama, Ranbir Kapoor takes on a dual look by portraying Parshurama.

Ramayana: Part 1 has received a U certificate from the CBFC, making it suitable for audiences of all age groups, and features a runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes. The production is releasing in multiple languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and English, and is heading to over 100 countries in various formats such as 2D, 3D, IMAX 3D, 4DX, and ScreenX.

The music for the ambitious project is composed through a collaboration between Oscar-winning composers A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Several tracks from the official soundtrack, including "Jai Jai Ram," "Ravana Tandav," and the "Rama Theme," have already generated significant attention from fans ahead of the theatrical debut.

Ahead of its public opening, a star-studded pre-release screening was held in Mumbai. For its commercial distribution, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions is managing the release across the Hindi-speaking market, while Sony Pictures is handling international distribution outside of India.

Early reviews and reactions highlight the film's visual scale, action sequences coordinated by Terry Notary and Guy Norris, and performances from the leading actors, though some critics note that the dramatic portions and slow-paced pacing affect the narrative flow. Meanwhile, advance bookings have already crossed significant milestones globally.

As Part 1 makes its way to audiences worldwide just ahead of Diwali, the creative team is already looking ahead to the future of the franchise. While initial plans pointed to a 2027 release for the second installment, reports suggest that Ramayana Part 2 may arrive at a later date.