There have been dozens of adaptations of the Ramayana on the big screen in Indian cinema over the last 100 years. From silent films to Bollywood big-budget productions and iconic Telugu adaptations, the epic has been adapted in every possible manner. But Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana differs in one crucial way. The upcoming film is a duology, the first Ramayana adaptation for the big screen to be released in two parts.
Ramayana Part One ends on a cliffhanger
The team of Ramayana recently attended the San Diego Comic Con, where they kicked off the film’s promotional campaign with a panel discussion, followed by select interviews. In an interaction with IGN, director Nitesh Tiwari opened up about the decision to release the film in two parts. “Ramayana is a linear story, and where we leave off in Part One is something you can call a cliffhanger. (It is) something that will make people want to watch Part Two the moment they leave the theatre. That’s basically it. It’s a story that deserves two parts. It cannot be told in one part, and we just decided that this would probably be the best juncture to leave it on in Part One, leaving the rest for Part Two.”
Ramayana Part One releases in November this year, ahead of the Diwali weekend. The second part is slated to release ahead of Diwali 2027.
During the interview, the director also spoke about what new the film offers. “At the heart of it, it’s all about relationships and the emotions that come with it. That’s exactly what we have tried to capture. Along with that, we have given it a cutting-edge execution. That’s what makes it very exciting. The same story, which many people may have heard and seen before, will be absolutely refreshing. This is an absolutely fresh take on that in terms of execution,” Nitesh added
Ramayana trailer awaited
The Ramayana team’s appearance at the San Diego Comic Con was set to culminate with the global launch of its trailer on Friday. However, producer Namit Malhotra announced that it was postponed indefinitely as the film bagged a deal with Sony for the film’s international distribution. He wrote on social media, “Today is a very special moment for our Ramayana. My dream of taking Ramayana to the world is now a reality with our partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment. In light of the above, we will be launching our trailer now globally at a later date.”
Ramayana is a two-part epic that stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. The film also features Ravie Dubey, Sunny Deol, Rakul Preet Singh, Lara Dutta, Arun Govil, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, and a large ensemble cast.