At a delayed but high-energy Mumbai launch for Ramayana: Part One, producer Namit Malhotra unveiled ambitious VFX plans, spin-offs, merchandise and VR experiences to take the epic “from India to the world.” Cast leads Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravie Dubey shared the stage with MrBeast, whose “Jai Shri Ram” chant and surprise Angry Birds 3 voice role became the night’s defining moments.
A special event for Ramayana: Part One—held at the DNEG Prime Focus— ran long past its scheduled start, but the delay did little to dampen the room once the lights finally went down.
The event brought together Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi, who lead the film, alongside producer Namit Malhotra and a surprise guest: YouTuber-turned-producer MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), whose presence set the tone for the evening's biggest talking point.
At the event, the audience was shown an exclusive behind-the-scenes reel detailing the scale of the film's visual effects work.
The presentation walked through how key VFX sequences were built, and previewed plans for character-led spin-off films that will lean further into the technology developed for the franchise. Malhotra's team also outlined an expansion well beyond the screen with merchandise lines and VR-based experiences tied to the Ramayana universe.
But the evening's most talked-about moment came from MrBeast, who broke into a chant of "Jai Shri Ram" on stage, a gesture that drew loud cheers.
The appearance also doubled as the reveal of a new collaboration between MrBeast and Malhotra: the pair confirmed they are working together on Angry Birds 3, with Malhotra producing and MrBeast lending his voice to a character in the animated film.
MrBeast, for his part, seemed caught off guard by the news. "I didn't even know that until we met today, that we are actually working together," he said. Malhotra called the collaboration nothing short of destiny.
Led by Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Raavan, the film also stars Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, alongside Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Shobana, Saurabh Sachdeva and Faisal Malik. The ensemble cast also features Indira Krishnan, Adinath Kothare and several other actors in key mythological roles.