The two-part Ramayana will no longer close its story on consecutive Diwalis. The first chapter, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, is still fixed for Diwali 2026. The second chapter has moved from Diwali 2027 to Diwali 2028, according to a Bollywood Hungama report.
The shift is a scheduling change, not a troubleshooting exercise. A trade source told the publication that Part One is releasing in a matter of days, while the sequel requires more shooting time. The biggest reason lies in the source material: the second instalment is where the “Yudh” unfolds, and that battle is the largest production problem the team faces.
The logic of a longer wait
The report suggests Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari used the extra time on action design, aiming for set pieces that do not look borrowed from any other film. Malhotra is described as unwilling to let budget constraints narrow the storytelling. The production cost of the franchise is cited at Rs 3,000 crore, and the sequel is being expanded rather than trimmed.
That decision carries a trade-off. A two-year gap between parts asks the audience to hold the story’s momentum longer. But for an epic whose second half is built around a war, an unfinished or rushed battle would be more damaging than a delayed one.
What changes for the release calendar
For exhibitors and distributors, the move takes one of 2027’s big festive titles off the board and gives 2028 a major Diwali anchor. The report says the new date will be announced in the post-credit scene of Ramayana this Diwali, which turns the first film’s closing minutes into a release-date announcement.
- Part One: Diwali 2026, on schedule.
- Part Two: Diwali 2028, moved from Diwali 2027.
- Cited franchise cost: Rs 3,000 crore.
The early response to the first part is strong, according to the report, with “box office fireworks” expected around the Diwali 2026 weekend. The sequel’s fate will still be shaped by how effectively the first chapter establishes the scale and emotional stakes of the war to come.
For readers who track Hindi cinema as a long game, the delay is a signal that the producers are treating the second part as the bigger film, not a contractual afterthought. The post-credit reveal gives audiences a reason to stay through the credits and gives the franchise a marketing beat that begins before Part One leaves theatres. A longer wait can cool a crowd, but it can also raise the ceiling if the first instalment lands.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
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