Following months of anticipation and a global marketing blitz, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana opened in theatres worldwide on December 5. An ambitious, visually expansive take on Valmiki’s Sankskit epic, the first instalment introduces a grand mythic universe and a wide set of characters. Ranbir Kapoor plays Rama, exiled prince of Ayodhya, Sai Pallavi is Sita and Kannada star Yash is the charismatic, powerful Ravana, easily the highlight of the first film.
At a runtime of three hours and fifteen minutes in its Hindi version, Ramayana: Part One leaves audiences with only half the story. The second instalment of the film has now been confirmed for a Diwali 2028 theatrical release.
The revised release window is revealed at the end of the first part. The sequel — which will focus on Rama’s epic battle between Ravana — was initially scheduled to release during Diwali 2027 but has been pushed back to allow the makers more time to realise the scale and ambition of the project. This makes sense, as the film will require extensive motion-capture and CGI work to create the Vanar-sena and other key characters, sequences and action set pieces.
Producer Namit Malhotra also confirmed the development in an interview, telling E! News, “The idea was that, given the excitement the world has shown, we want to take a little more time to ensure that, when we present the grand finale, we have enough time to do what we did on Part One.”
The first instalment concludes on a dramatic note with the abduction of Sita (Sai Pallavi) by Ravana (Yash), the demon king of Lanka, following a fierce confrontation with Jatayu. As Ravana on his flying Pushpak Vimana takes Sita to his far-away kingdom, Rama (Ranbir Kapoor) and Lakshman (Ravi Dubey) vow to search all three realms for her and defeat the arrogant ruler. The sequel will pick up from this point, exploring Rama and Lakshman’s search for Sita, their alliance with the Vanaras and the formation of an army to wage war against Ravana.
The first film also offers a glimpse of what lies ahead through a mid-credits sequence introducing Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. While clearly meant as a treat to fans, the actor’s face is kept concealed for now, as we see a giant CGI figure with a mace lift himself into the air, leaping off from a cliff edge.
Produced by Namit Malhotra and Yash’s Monster Mind Creators, Ramayana is mounted as a two-part adaptation of the Indian epic. Beyond the primary cast, the film features Arun Govil as King Dasharath, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakja, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva.
The ambitious production features music by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, with visual effects by Malhotra’s 8-time Academy Award winner studio DNEG.
Early reactions to Part 1 have praised its scale and technical ambition, while some have questioned its extensive reliance on virtual production and the lack of emotional momentum during important story beats.