Ramayana: Part One, Namit Malhotra’s screen adaptation of the Indian epic, is coming home after a two-city international showcase. The film had its Los Angeles premiere on October 27 and was screened in London on November 1, and now heads to a Mumbai cast-and-crew event on November 3 at the Lower Parel IMAX.
The Mumbai screening will be followed by a media screening on November 4, ahead of the film’s India release on November 5. A source close to the project said the event had originally been planned for the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre but was moved to Lower Parel “for multiple reasons.” Some early Mumbai screenings have already taken place, according to the source.
An international corridor before the home market
The London showcase on November 1 invited critics, including BAFTA jury members, and screened the Hindi version. That overseas-first sequence is unusual for a story rooted in the Indian epic: it positions the adaptation for a global audience before it opens in the domestic market.
It also carries commercial weight. Indian distribution is with Dharma Productions, while Sony Pictures is handling international markets, including China. The release strategy is effectively a two-part argument that Ramayana can be a prestige international title and a mass domestic event at the same time.
The advance numbers
Advance bookings across formats have been live for two weeks and, by 6 am on November 2, had touched Rs 45 crore, three days before release.
- October 27: Los Angeles premiere.
- November 1: London screening for critics, including BAFTA jury members.
- November 3: Mumbai cast-and-crew premiere at Lower Parel IMAX.
- November 4: Media screening.
- November 5: India theatrical release.
The Los Angeles reactions, however, have been mixed. For a film of this scale and mythic weight, the review cycle will matter as much as the opening weekend, especially in markets where the Ramayana is less culturally familiar.
The cast and the long arc
The ensemble is led by Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman and Sunny Deol as Hanuman. The wider cast includes Arun Govil, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Anupam Kher and Kajal Aggarwal, among others.
The project’s ambition extends beyond Part One. Ramayana: Part 2, originally planned for Diwali 2027, is now scheduled for Diwali 2028, giving the franchise a longer development runway.
Source: India Today
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