The two Ramayana films are the most ambitious single project in Hindi cinema history. The duology has been mounted on a budget rivalling Hollywood blockbusters.
The first visuals from the teaser and trailer for Ramayana Part One show the series’ scale and scope. But actor Faisal Malik, who plays Kumbhakarna in the films, cautions audiences from getting overawed already, as he says there is ‘much more’ in store in Part 2.
Faisal Malik on being part of Ramayana
Ramayana stars Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, and Sai Pallavi as Sita. The film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, counts some of Hollywood’s elite technicians in its crew. Talking about his involvement, Faisal told Variety India: “I obviously cannot get into the details at the moment. But the process that I have gone through for the part, and when it gave me a flashback of all the Hollywood BTS videos I have seen, I knew I was in very good hands and working on a landmark project.”
Ramayana has VFX work by the eight-time Oscar-winning studio DNEG, while Hans Zimmer has teamed up with AR Rahman for the score. In addition, many of the action directors and stunt performers are from Hollywood. Faisal added, “The thrill of working with a new team and with geniuses from the West was so exciting. We had to go through a lot of prep, and now I want the audience to like it. I have never seen something like this happen in India. It was an out-of-this-world experience for me. You should wait and watch Part 2, there is so much more in store.”
All about Ramayana
Produced by Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations, Ramayana is planned as a two-part film. The film also stars Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. The first part is scheduled for worldwide release on November 5, 2026, while the second part is set for Diwali 2027. The films will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India.
Sony Pictures will handle global distribution, excluding India, while Dharma Productions will distribute the film in the Hindi-speaking market. The film is also planned for a worldwide IMAX release.