Nitesh Tiwari says his two-part Ramayana will be respectful of the epic poem and won’t offend anyone’s beliefs. He wants to be faithful to Valmiki’s original text, and use film to reach modern viewers. Ranbir Kapoor will be Rama, Sai Pallavi will be Sita, and Yash will play Ravana. The goal is to have a visual spectacle that is also respectful.
Commitment to Valmiki’s version and creative limits
Tiwari explained to reporters that although India has over 300 versions of the Ramayana, his team decided to use Valmiki’s version as their main source. This decision gave them clear rules for being creative and helped them decide what to put in, and what to leave out, to make the story flow.
But, Tiwari added, following those rules didn’t limit their creativity. Instead, the limitations gave the team a focus and made them think of visual and storytelling ways to be creative, all while still respecting the original source and its moral message.
Centering moral values and human relationships
Tiwari emphasized that the most important part of the Ramayana for the films are the strong feelings within the story. He says it’s a story about morals, important principles, and the bonds between people that make up life and what we should do.
The filmmakers are hoping that by emphasizing these relationships, people will find the familiar ethics and emotional core of the story, even with the impressive visuals and special effects, which are meant to add to the story, not take its place.
Visual effects, scale and audience response
A first, short preview called ‘Rama’ has been shown, introducing Ranbir Kapoor as the character. It got both praise for being ambitious and criticism of some of the visual effects and design, and a lot of discussion on the internet began about how big the movie will be and how it will look.
People have also asked about the reported 4,000 crore budget (that’s a lot of money!) and whether spending that much will give audiences what they want. Namit Malhotra, the producer, said on social media he was “overwhelmed” by the responses and that the team is carefully listening to what people are saying.
Malhotra said that thousands of artists are continuing to improve all aspects of the production. He called the project something everyone in the culture shares responsibility for, and said the early footage is a step toward the finished film.
Teaser rollout and planned Ravana glimpse
The filmmakers have said the next significant preview will be about Ravana. Tiwari said they plan to show Ravana as a complex character, not just a simple villain.
Tiwari explained Ravana has many sides: he’s a warrior, a king, a musician, and a worshiper of Shiva. The team will explore all of these parts of his personality to create a more complete picture of him, showing both his strength and his weaknesses.
Cast, worldbuilding and release timeline
Alongside Kapoor, Pallavi and Yash, Sunny Deol will be Hanuman, Ravi Dubey will be Lakshman, Rakul Preet Singh will be Soorpanakha, Kajal Aggarwal will be Mandodari, and Arun Govil will be in a supporting role as a king. The whole group of actors is intended to bring depth and importance to the main characters in the epic.
Tiwari says the films will show Ayodhya and Lanka in a stunning way, using visual effects to make the places more realistic while still keeping the story itself as the main thing. The two-part story will be released for Diwali in 2026 and 2027, aiming for the large number of people who go to the movies during the Diwali festival.
Tiwari has publicly said things to reassure people about possibly upsetting religious feelings, while also promising a big, cinematic version of the story. The people making the film seem to be dedicated to improving the visuals and acting as they get closer to the final release.
Both those who are excited about the film and those who are doubtful are now waiting to see what the filmmakers do next, including the Ravana preview and further changes to the visual effects and design. The project is a prominent attempt to combine devotion to an important religious text with the requirements of modern, large-scale filmmaking.
