Ranbir Kapoor’s Ramayana: Teaser out and everything you need to know

Dubai: The first teaser of Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, has finally been released, marking the beginning of promotions for what is being described as one of the biggest Indian film productions ever made. The teaser, titled “Rama”, was unveiled on April 2, 2026, on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanti and offers the first official look at the film’s world, characters, and visual scale.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra, Ramayana is planned as a two-part epic film adaptation of the ancient Indian epic. The project has been in development for several years and is expected to release its first part in Diwali 2026, with the second part scheduled for Diwali 2027.

The teaser, which runs for just over two minutes, introduces the tone and scale of the film and reveals the first looks of major characters. It focuses on Lord Rama as a symbol of duty, righteousness, and heroism. The film features a large ensemble cast, including: Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, to name a few.

Speaking to NDTV, director Nitesh Tiwari explained “There was nobody better than Ranbir Kapoor to portray all these things and manage the expectations of a billion people.” When asked why Ranbir Kapoor was chosen for the role.

One of the biggest talking points about the film is its music collaboration. The soundtrack is being composed by A.R. Rahman and Hans Zimmer, marking Zimmer’s debut into Indian cinema. 

One of the other significant aspects of the film’s production is its visual effects. The VFX for Ramayana are being handled by Oscar-winning studio DNEG, the global visual effects company behind films such as Inception, Interstellar, and Dune.

The film is also reportedly one of the most expensive Indian film projects ever made, with massive investment in visual effects and world-building. A large portion of post-production time has been delegated to VFX work to create the mythological universe.

After release, reactions online have however been mixed, some viewers praised the scale and performances, while others felt the visuals and VFX could have been better, or more ’Indian’ especially given the film’s massive budget.

While online reactions to the teaser have been mixed, it is still only the first glimpse of what is planned as a massive two-part cinematic project. With a cast led by Ranbir Kapoor, direction by Nitesh Tiwari, and large-scale visual effects, the film remains one of the most ambitious Indian productions currently in development. As the project moves closer to its release, audiences are likely to see more footage, to get a better sense of the film’s scale.

Article contributed by Saarangi Aji