The Ramayana Part One release date is confirmed: November 5, 2026, worldwide. The makers announced it on Sunday, October 11, ending weeks of confusion about when the film would come out. Advance bookings open on Dussehra. Nitesh Tiwari directs the two-part epic, with Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita and Yash as Ravana.
What the makers announced
The announcement came on Instagram on the first day of Navratri, with a new ensemble poster showing the lead cast. The caption read: “On the auspicious occasion of Navratri, we celebrate the beginning of a new era. Yeh Ram ke Yug ka Aarambh hai. Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana Part 1: In cinemas WORLDWIDE, across all premium formats, from 5th November. Advance bookings open on Dussehra.”
The poster itself tells the story the makers want to sell. Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravie Dubey stand in the foreground as Rama, Sita and Lakshman, while Yash’s Ravana towers over them. The detailed costumes and grand setting give a first real glimpse of the film’s visual scale, per the Deccan Chronicle and India TV.
The film will release in all premium formats, including IMAX, NDTV reported. In plain words: premium formats are the big, expensive cinema screens with the best sound and picture — the makers are betting that people will want to see this film on the biggest screen they can find. Sony Pictures will distribute it globally, outside India, while Dharma Productions will handle the Hindi-speaking market.
Part 2 is already set for Diwali 2027
This is a two-part plan, not a one-off. Part 2 is already dated for Diwali 2027. That is a long gap — a full year — which tells you the makers are treating this as a slow-building franchise event rather than a single festival release. The gap also gives the visual-effects teams, led by DNEG, time to finish the second half at the same scale.
Why this ends the confusion
The date was genuinely messy until this announcement. The international trailer, put out by Sony Pictures, had listed November 6 as the worldwide release date. Producer Namit Malhotra had earlier said the film was targeting a Diwali release in India. Trade reports then suggested November 5 in India with paid previews on November 4. India TV added another detail: at one point, the plan was for India to release on November 8, three days after overseas.
Now all of that is settled. One date, everywhere: November 5. What is still not confirmed: whether paid previews will still happen on November 4. The makers have not said anything about that.
The cast and the team
- Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama
- Sai Pallavi as Sita
- Yash as Ravana
- Sunny Deol as Hanuman
- Ravie Dubey as Lakshman
- Also: Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Arun Govil as Dashrath
Behind the camera: Nitesh Tiwari, the Dangal-fame director, directs. Namit Malhotra produces through Prime Focus Studios, along with DNEG — the eight-time Oscar-winning visual effects company — and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. The music is by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman together, per the Telegraph and IANS.
The film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Part 2 is already planned for Diwali 2027.
The Rs 4,000-crore question
Here is the number that keeps coming up: the Telegraph India reports that Ramayana is being made on a budget of around Rs 4,000 crore. The makers have not confirmed this figure officially, so treat it as reported, not final.
If it is anywhere close to true, Ramayana would be one of the most expensive Indian films ever planned. That is a big bet. But it also explains the two-part plan, the five languages, the IMAX release and the Zimmer–Rahman music: the film is being built to travel the world, not only to play in India.
The music pairing deserves a line of its own. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman are scoring the film together, per the Telegraph and IANS.
Advance bookings open on Dussehra
Dussehra falls on October 16 this year — the same day two new films, Prahaar and Nayyi Navelli, hit theatres. That means the booking counter for Ramayana opens on a day when cinemas are already buzzing.
In plain words, advance booking means you can buy your ticket days or weeks before the release date, so you are sure of a seat on day one. For big Indian films, the speed at which these early tickets sell is the first real test of public excitement — before a single review is out.
What to watch next: how fast advance bookings fill once they open on Dussehra — and whether the film’s full trailer drops alongside. The film season is already hot: Drishyam 3 just crossed Rs 300 crore, and the race for 2026’s biggest films is wide open.
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