Ranbir Kapoor on Yash's Ravana in 'Ramayana': 'We Needed Somebody with His Aura and Stardom to Play This Role'

At the Ramayana showcase at San Diego Comic-Con on July 23, Ranbir Kapoor offered high praise for co-star Yash’s turn as Ravana in Nitesh Tiwari’s upcoming mythological epic.

Unpacking the KGF actor's approach to the role, Kapoor highlighted the screen presence and authority Yash brought to the part. "He's played it with so much of swag, with so much of aura, with so much of honesty, that he's really made Ravan come alive," Kapoor said.

The actor also shared that the two are yet to shoot their major scenes together, as the primary confrontation between Ram and Ravana comes later in the film's story.

"Ram and Ravan really meet at the end of the film. Maybe a meeting in the middle, but we haven't shot that yet, so we haven't had the opportunity to work together," Kapoor added.

Despite the limited time on set together so far, Kapoor explained that he had known Yash for some time and had been following his work before becoming co-stars on Ramayana. "I've been a big fan of his work, and I truly believe that we needed somebody with his aura, with his stardom, with his outlook, to play this role."

The film's trailer was earlier scheduled to be released on Friday, however, producer Namit Malhotra announced that it has been postponed and revealed that Sony Pictures has joined the film as the global distributor.

The producer made the announcement in an Instagram post, writing that: "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."

The makers have not revealed the new release date for the trailer yet.

Yash's next theatrical release ahead of Ramayana is Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, a period gangster film directed by Geetu Mohandas in which he plays a dual role and serves as co-writer and co-producer. Toxic is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on August 26, 2026, with a cast that includes Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth and Huma Qureshi.

Ramayana: Part 1, the adaptation of the sacred Indian epic, is directed by Nitesh Tiwari, and is planned as a grand two-part franchise. It will star Ranbir Kapoor as Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

The first chapter is set for a global theatrical release on Diwali 2026. The second part will release a year later, on Diwali 2027.