The two-and-a-half-minute preview opens with Yash as Ravana consolidating power in Lanka before shifting to Ayodhya and the early life of Lord Ram. It then moves through key narrative turning points, including Ram’s acceptance of exile at Kaikeyi’s behest, the Surpanakha episode and the abduction of Sita.
Ranbir Kapoor appears as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Supporting roles feature Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha and Arvind Govil as King Dasharath. Early reactions from viewers have focused on the casting choices and the visual scale of the sequences shown.
The screenplay has been adapted by Shridhar Raghavan. Music is a collaboration between Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, described by the producers as one of the most significant East-West creative partnerships in recent Indian cinema.
Producer and creative architect Namit Malhotra positioned the project as both a cultural and cinematic undertaking. “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,” he said.
Malhotra added that the team now possesses the technical and artistic resources required to present the story on a global stage. “Having spent much of my life working across the global film industry, I have 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.”
Director Nitesh Tiwari emphasised fidelity to the source material’s moral core. “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,” he said.
Tiwari noted that every department — writing, performance, production design, music and visual effects — had been guided by the need to honour the epic while employing contemporary cinematic craft. “It has been the privilege of a lifetime to work alongside some of the world’s finest artists, technicians and storytellers in bringing this vision to life. I hope audiences everywhere experience not just the spectacle of Ramayana, but also the emotion, humanity, and timeless spirit that have allowed it to endure for thousands of years.”
Ramayana: Part 1 is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios and eight-time Academy Award-winning visual-effects company DNEG, in association with Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on Diwali 2026.
The trailer’s multi-language rollout and the involvement of high-profile international collaborators signal the makers’ intention to position the film for both domestic and global audiences. Industry observers will now watch how the finished film balances scale, visual effects and the emotional core of one of India’s most enduring narratives.
