The team behind Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana brought its cast and release map to Hyderabad ahead of the film’s worldwide Diwali opening. Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Sai Pallavi, Rakul Preet Singh and Ravi Dubey shared the stage with Tiwari, producer Namit Malhotra, distributor Dil Raju and Dharma Productions’ Karan Johar to frame the project as more than a single theatrical event.
Part 1 will open worldwide in IMAX on November 5, 2026, during Diwali, with Part 2 already set for Diwali 2027. That two-date commitment is the clearest signal yet of how the producers are positioning the epic: as a sustained, two-year global release rather than a one-off holiday title.
The release map behind the event
The production is run by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in association with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. On stage, the team made the distribution split explicit.
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Dil Raju’s Sri Venkateswara Creations
- North India: Dharma Productions
- Global release: Sony, after what Yash described as a difficult deal to assemble
- Part 1: November 5, 2026, worldwide in IMAX
- Part 2: Diwali 2027
Director Nitesh Tiwari used the Hyderabad stage to press his Telugu cinema credentials, citing Shiva, Eega, Magadheera and Baahubali as films that shaped his admiration for the region’s filmmaking. That local reference was not decoration; it underpins the film’s Telugu version, which Sai Pallavi promised would feel like a “proper Telugu film.”
Why the Telugu stage mattered
Yash, who plays Ravana and is a co-producer, said the Telugu dialogues were handled with special care because the local audience is central to the film’s scale. He pointed to the work of filmmakers such as S.S. Rajamouli, Prabhas, Ram Charan and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. as proof of what the industry can achieve, and described Dil Raju as someone who takes distribution personally.
Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama, told the audience that some stories do not need to be told because they live on with us. He made a direct claim for the film’s intent, saying viewers would not feel they were “simply watching a movie” but experiencing something extraordinary. He also said he could not imagine anyone other than Sai Pallavi playing Sita.
Sai Pallavi framed the film as a decade-long effort for its director and producer, even though the cast journey has been three years. She said the film is designed to reach audiences worldwide and that she hopes viewers “experience a sense of divinity” when they see her as Sita.
Producer Namit Malhotra described the Ramayana as “a universe in itself,” not just a film, and said the production was built so every Indian could be proud of it. The event’s core pitch was continuity: two Diwalis, one epic, and an Indian story aimed at global recognition.
What to watch for next
The Hyderabad event was less a standard promotional stop and more a territory-level rollout: a two-part IMAX epic with regional partners in place, a global distributor named, and a second Diwali already reserved. For Hindi cinema readers, the date to circle is November 5, 2026, with Diwali 2027 as the second checkpoint.
Source: News18
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