The Epic Begins

How it feels

This is a two part film adaptation of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. It follows Prince Rama, his wife Sita, and the demon king Ravana in a story of duty, battle, and adventure.

epicmythologicaldramaticlarge-scalefast-pacedheroicaction-packedvisually majestic

What happens

Ramayana: The Epic Begins is an upcoming Indian epic fantasy action adventure film directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash. It is the first installment of a planned two-part cinematic adaptation of the Valmiki Ramayana — one of the foundational texts of Sanskrit literature and a cornerstone of Hindu tradition — and stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, and Yash as Ravana. The film is designed for and scheduled for a global theatrical release in IMAX during the Diwali 2026 festival season. Produced by Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios and Yash's production banner Monster Mind Creations, the film has been widely described as the most expensive Indian film production in history. The budget for Part 1 alone has been reported at approximately ₹1,500 crore (US$160 million), while combined production costs for both parts have been reported across different sources at between ₹3,000 crore (US$310 million) and ₹4,000 crore (US$420 million). Visual effects are handled by DNEG, an eight-time Academy Award-winning studio previously responsible for the Visual effects on Dune: Part Two (2024), Tenet (2021), and Interstellar (2015). The film's score is composed by Hans Zimmer and A. R. Rahman, the latter a two-time Academy Award-winner widely regarded as India's most globally recognised film composer. Indian theatrical distribution rights have been acquired by Dharma Productions, the production and distribution banner of Karan Johar, for a reported ₹350 crore (US$37 million) — described by industry sources as the largest theatrical distribution deal in the history of Indian cinema, surpassing the previous record, set by King, by a margin of ₹100 crore (US$10 million). International distribution is handled by Warner Bros. Pictures. The screenplay is written by Shridhar Raghavan, and veteran Hollywood producer Charles Roven serves as a co-producer. A sequel, Ramayana: Part 2, is currently in principal photography and is scheduled for a global theatrical release during Diwali 2027. The film's full title, Ramayana: The Epic Begins, was confirmed through its official listing at the Comic-Con 2026 programming schedule, which includes a dedicated panel hosted by DNEG and Malhotra. The film is also promoted under the shortened titles Ramayana and Ramayana: Part 1 across various press and marketing materials. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

• Ramayana: Part 1 (2026) (2026)
• Sampoorna Ramayana (1961)
• Sampoorna Ramayanam (1958)
• Mahayoddha Rama
• Ilangeswaran
• Sampoorna Ramayanam (1971)
• Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992)
• Ramyug (2021)