The first song from Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana was unveiled on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. Composed by A.R. Rahman, the song has been sung by Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal, who infuse new life into the age-old pean. The lyrics have been penned by Dr Kumar Vishwas.
The music video captures moments from Rama and Sita’s wedding, as well as Rama showcasing his prowess as a warrior. It also shows Rama and Sita travelling in a chariot through the streets of Ayodhya while their subjects shower flower petals on them. The song is a new take on the age-old Rama bhajan, “Jai Siya Ram.”
Before revealing the song, the makers unveiled a new poster featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama and Sai Pallavi as Sita. In the poster, Lord Rama is seen placing a flower in Sita’s hair against an idyllic backdrop. Soft, serene music plays in the background.
Trailer
The first scene introduces Ravana, his face hidden beneath a shawl. Blending Nitesh Tiwari’s imagination with the ancient epic, this portrayal of Ravana looks grand, majestic, and refreshingly unconventional. When Ravana declares his rule over the tri-lok (heaven, earth, and hell), Rama is born to save humankind from his atrocities.
Interestingly, the teaser that introduced Lord Rama included shadowy glimpses of Sita (Sai Pallavi) and Yash as Ravana. The trailer introduces almost every important character: Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Shurpanakha, and Vivek Oberoi as Vidyutjihva (demon prince and Shurpanakha’s husband). The only major absence is Sunny Deol, who plays Hanuman in the magnum opus.
The trailer promises a visual extravaganza and high spectacle driven by CGI and VFX. This decades-old story will be retold with a new generation of actors stepping into mythic roles. The original Rama of the Indian television, Arun Govil, appears in the film as King Dasharatha, Rama’s father.
Budget
Ramayana has been made on a staggering budget of Rs 4,000 crore.
Speaking to Prakhar Gupta, producer Namit Malhotra revealed, “When we set out to make this six or seven years ago, people thought I was a lunatic because no Indian film comes close to this scale. Put simply, the budget will be around $500 million for both parts combined, which is over Rs 4,000 crore.”
He added, “We’re making the largest film in the world for the greatest epic that deserves to be seen globally. And yet, I believe we’re doing it more efficiently than some of the biggest Hollywood films. We’re not being irresponsible-we’re being ambitious, but grounded.”
The film is set to be released in two parts, with the first instalment scheduled to release worldwide in October 2026 ahead of Diwali, while the second part is slated for Diwali 2027.
Apart from Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey and Yash play pivotal roles in the film.