Some stories are older than cinema itself.

Few tales have been retold as often as the Ramayana, and director Nitesh Tiwari (Dangal) is now bringing the ancient Sanskrit epic to the screen on a scale Indian cinema has rarely, if ever, attempted. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, the first of two films, arrives at Everyman on 6 November 2026, just in time for Diwali!

Across the two films, the saga follows Rama, the virtuous prince of Ayodhya, from his exile to his war against the demon king who abducts his wife, in a conflict that spans three worlds. Ranbir Kapoor leads as Rama and also takes on a second role as the warrior sage Parashurama. Sai Pallavi plays Sita, while KGF star Yash, who also co-produces, is the formidable Ravana. Sunny Deol is Hanuman, Ravie Dubey plays Rama's devoted brother Lakshmana, Lara Dutta is Queen Kaikeyi and Rakul Preet Singh plays Shurpanakha, with Amitabh Bachchan lending his voice to the great bird Jatayu.

Behind the camera, the talent is just as eye-catching. Filming wrapped at Mumbai's Film City in July 2025, followed by around 600 days of post-production at producer Namit Malhotra's Oscar-winning effects house DNEG, whose work includes Dune. Mad Max: Fury Road stunt veteran Guy Norris worked on the action sequences, while Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman join forces on the score, with poet Kumar Vishwas writing lyrics that weave Sanskrit verse into the music.

Prepare for a sweeping clash of gods, demons and kings, told with the kind of devotion and spectacle that turns a story millions already know by heart into something entirely new.

Did you know?

Arun Govil, who plays Rama's father King Dasharatha, played Rama himself in Ramanand Sagar's 1987 TV series Ramayan, one of the most-watched shows in Indian television history. Bachchan's casting as Jatayu also went beyond a voice session: the VFX team scanned his eyes to help bring the bird to life.

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