The ceremonial launch of Ramayana’s global journey, titled Pratham Sankalp, was held in New Delhi ahead of the worldwide trailer launch on July 24.
The event brought together the film’s principal cast and makers for the first public celebration of the ambitious epic.
While producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari spoke about their dream of presenting India’s greatest epic to the world, it was the speeches of the lead actors that made the strongest impact.
Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama, began his speech by apologising for wearing dark glasses due to an eye infection before greeting the audience.
He then turned towards veteran actor Arun Govil, who immortalised Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television adaptation and now plays King Dasharatha in the film.
In one of the most emotional moments of the evening, Ranbir credited Arun Govil with inspiring generations through his portrayal of Lord Rama.
He said he had grown up carrying both Lord Rama’s teachings and Govil’s face in his heart. Ranbir added that if he could imbibe even a small part of those values in his performance, all his hard work would be worthwhile.
His heartfelt tribute received loud applause from the audience.
Sai Pallavi followed with a deeply personal speech about portraying Maa Sita.
Calling the role the greatest blessing of her career, the actress said characters like Sita could not be pursued but were instead bestowed upon an actor through grace.
She revealed that she did not approach the role through conventional acting methods. Instead, she meditated before every performance and prayed that Sitamma herself would perform through her.
Sai Pallavi said she consciously tried to keep her thoughts pure throughout the filming process so that she could portray the character with complete honesty.
She admitted that the journey had transformed her as a person and taught her invaluable life lessons.
The actress also thanked Namit Malhotra and the entire team for trusting her with such an iconic role. She noted that projects of this scale become part of history for future generations.
Yash, who plays Ravana and is also co-producing the film through Monster Mind Creations, spoke passionately about the larger vision behind Ramayana.
Calling it “India’s dream,” Yash said everyone associated with the project had set aside personal ambitions to work towards the common goal of taking Shri Ram’s story to audiences around the world.
He praised Namit Malhotra for having the courage and conviction to mount such a monumental project and thanked director Nitesh Tiwari for guiding him through the complexities of Ravana’s character.
Yash also praised his co-stars. Calling Ranbir Kapoor phenomenal, he said audiences would witness the complete dedication with which the actor had embraced the role of Lord Rama.
Speaking about Sai Pallavi, Yash remarked that her eyes alone conveyed the emotions of Sita.
He also appreciated the performances of the entire ensemble and promised audiences several memorable surprises.
Ramayana: Part One is scheduled to release during Diwali 2026, while anticipation surrounding the epic continues to grow.