Chennai’s music-led promotional event for Ramayana: Rise of a Legend set the terms for its November 5 opening: a five-language release, a two-part plan, and a score shared by AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram and Sai Pallavi plays Sita, with Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanaka and Yash as Ravana. Nimesh Tiwari directs; Namit Malhotra backs the project.
Two composers, one score
Rahman told the Chennai audience that his engagement with the epic has been ‘a journey of learning’ stretching from school screenings to the present. He recalled a 2014 email from a New York-based stranger named Satish, who wrote that he had dreamt Rahman would one day present the Ramayana. Rahman said the note left him stunned.
He drew on bhakti-rich Indian classical forms such as keerthanas and varnams for the songs. Malhotra described the Rahman-Hans Zimmer pairing as an attempt to make something ‘deeply rooted in India, yet universal in its appeal and emotion.’ Songs including Jai Jai Ram, Mangal Rang and Jodi Jodi were performed live at the Trade Centre event, which was put together by Amazon Music and hosted by Bhavna Balakrishnan.
Cast and craft
Sai Pallavi said the cast was absorbed by the film’s world rather than its pressure; the scale registered only when the team saw the trailer in 3D. She has been part of the project for three years of its near-decade-long making and said the material carries authenticity across languages so that audiences can experience it in their mother tongue.
Yash, who plays Ravana, said he accepted the role often described as the epic’s most hated character because of the energy behind the film’s ‘Ravana Tandav’ track. He added that Rahman’s Gentleman and Rangeela songs helped him learn Tamil and Hindi. Sai Pallavi, asked about her co-star, said Ranbir Kapoor showed an inner peace as Ram that stands apart from his work in Animal and Barfi.
Why the release matters
The project is conceived as a two-part epic: the first instalment arrives this Diwali and the second is lined up for Diwali 2027. For Hindi cinema, this is both a mythological retelling and a franchise bet built on language reach:
- Release: November 5 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.
- Music: AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer collaborate; three tracks were unveiled live.
- Plan: Part one this Diwali, part two in Diwali 2027.
Advance ticket openings are said to be strong, though specific figures were not shared. For Bollywood Chronicle readers, the real question is whether a story many audiences know by heart can still become an event at this scale. The producers are betting on musical authority, familiar stars and language authenticity to make the familiar feel newly urgent.
Source: The Hindu
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