Ramayana Part 1, released in theatres on November 5 under the title Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, has made its biggest casting reveal after the main story ends. Sunny Deol appears as Lord Hanuman in a post-credit scene, offering the first glimpse of the character while keeping the full look under wraps. After the release, Deol took to Instagram with a review that doubled as a call to cinemas: the film, he said, is “not less than any Hollywood film” and “better than them.”
A reveal built for the sequel
The post-credit sequence opens with a musical cue and keeps Hanuman’s face hidden before a wider shot shows him in flight with his gada, hailing Jai Shri Ram. The Hanuman Chalisa plays behind the moment, sung by Diljit Dosanjh, Sukhwinder Singh, Mohit Chauhan, Kailash Kher and Anirudh Ravichander. Just before Hanuman appears, the film also offers a glimpse of Raghav Juyal as Meghnada, Ravana’s eldest son.
For Hindi cinema, this is a blockbuster mechanism more often associated with Hollywood superhero franchises: a post-credit sequence that rewards the audience for staying and sets up the next chapter. Here the purpose is specific. Hanuman becomes one of the most important figures in the Ramayana after Ravana abducts Sita—finding her in Lanka and helping Rama prepare for the war that follows. The sequel is slated for 2028.
What the first part covers
Nitesh Tiwari directs from a screenplay co-written with Shridhar Raghavan; Namit Malhotra and Yash produce. Ranbir plays Ram, Sai plays Sita, and Yash plays Ravana. The ensemble includes Ravi Dubey as Lakshmana, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanaka, Arun Govil as Dasharatha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Shobana as Kaikashi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari, and Anupam Kher as the voice of Jatayu.
- Ravana’s backstory, building to Sita’s abduction after the fight with Jatayu
- Ram’s childhood and upbringing, marriage to Sita, and the 14-year exile
- The vow to bring Sita back, which carries the story toward the sequel
Why Deol’s verdict matters
Deol’s message was addressed to “each and every Hindustani,” and he said the special effects “truly transport the viewer to that time.” By setting the film against Hollywood, he frames Ramayana not simply as a devotional text on screen but as a big-canvas spectacle that Hindi cinema should claim. The pressure now shifts to the sequel: the post-credit promise of Hanuman’s larger role, and the comparison Deol has drawn, raise expectations for 2028.
For Bollywood Chronicle readers, the useful lens is the post-credit scene as a planning tool. Ramayana Part 1 has used its final moments to convert opening-weekend attention into demand for the next release. Whether the sequel can repay that promise will decide if this becomes a genuine cinematic universe or a one-film event.
Source: Hindustan Times
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