'Ramayana' stars attend world premiere in US ahead of film's theatrical release on November 5

The first part of "Ramayana", starring Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi as Ram and Sita, had its star-studded world premiere at the David Geffen Theatre of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles.

Ranbir, Pallavi, producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and actor-producer Yash attended the gala evening on Tuesday at the prestigious venue that has hosted premieres of leading Hollywood movies in the past.

‘Ramayana’ touted as India’s most ambitious production

Produced by Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with his company DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, "Ramayana" is being touted as the most ambitious Indian production ever with a reported combined budget of over Rs 4,000 crore for both the parts.

Envisioned as a two-part cinematic epic, the film also features Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.

Yash speaks about the epic’s cultural significance

At the premiere, Yash spoke about the cultural and generational significance of "Ramayana", which has been a part of Indian storytelling tradition for centuries. "Where you start can never define how far you can go. Today, I am proud of being a member of the Kannada film industry, telling our story, which is not just a story.

"In our country, we just don't tell the story, we remember it, and we pass it down for generations to come and this story has travelled for thousands of years," Yash said.

Namit Malhotra calls premiere a milestone for Indian cinema

Ahead of the film's world premiere, Malhotra told PTI that it was a great moment to showcase the story to the world on such a grand scale.

"I think it's the ultimate moment for Indian cinema overall. In over a hundred years (of Indian cinema), it's one thing to say that there's a screening and the other is to say that there's a whole city in the US, which has 'Ramayana' hoardings all over," he said.

The producer said the film's US screening is not just aimed at creating curiosity but also credibility.

"This is a massive spectacle coming out of India about one of the greatest epics and a Hollywood studio that's distributing it. We've got some of the top Indian talent, some of the top Western talent, and they are all coming together to make something that's never been done before, at a budget and scale. Again, that is unique to anything the rest of the world makes... It has several firsts attached to its name, and I believe the visibility and centre stage we hope to achieve for 'Ramayana' and Indian cinema go hand in hand," he said.

‘Ramayana’ release dates and distribution plans

The first instalment of "Ramayana" is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 5, 2026, while the second part is expected to arrive during Diwali 2027.

The film will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an IMAX release also planned.

Sony Pictures will handle the film's international distribution outside India, while Dharma Productions will distribute it in the Hindi-speaking market.

The film's star-studded cast also includes Sunny Deol, Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta.