The global campaign for Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana moved into top gear on Thursday, October 15, 2026, with an international trailer event in Bengaluru. Hosted by Prime Focus Studios and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, the launch marks the start of a worldwide promotional push for the two-part epic, whose first chapter opens in cinemas on November 5, 2026.
With barely three weeks to go before release, the choice of Bengaluru is telling. It is Yash's home turf, and the makers clearly want the film to be seen as a pan-India event rather than a Hindi film dubbed into other languages.
Who was lined up for the Bengaluru event
Reports from the event list Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Rama, Sai Pallavi, who plays Sita, and Yash, who plays Ravana and also co-produces the film. They were joined by Ravi Dubey (Lakshman), music composer A.R. Rahman, director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra. Sunny Deol, who plays Hanuman, was not part of the listed line-up.
The trailer is being called the "international" cut because it opens the overseas leg of marketing. Sony Pictures is handling the film's distribution outside India, which gives Ramayana a reach that very few Indian productions have enjoyed in global markets.
Ramayana Part I: key facts
| Film | Ramayana: Part I |
| Director | Nitesh Tiwari |
| Producers | Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios with DNEG and Monster Mind Creations |
| Lead cast | Ranbir Kapoor (Rama), Sai Pallavi (Sita), Yash (Ravana), Sunny Deol (Hanuman), Ravi Dubey (Lakshman) |
| Music | A.R. Rahman among the composers |
| Part I release | November 5, 2026 (worldwide) |
| Part II release | Diwali 2027 |
| Languages | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Formats | Including IMAX |
| Distribution | Sony Pictures (international, outside India); Dharma Productions (Hindi-speaking market) |
Why this launch matters
Mythological films have a mixed record at the Indian box office. Audiences have embraced spectacle when it felt rooted and sincere, and they have been quick to reject projects where the visual effects looked unfinished or the treatment felt careless. That history is why every Ramayana promo is watched closely, frame by frame, by fans and critics alike.
The makers appear to understand that pressure. The project has been planned as a two-part story from the start, with Part II already dated for Diwali 2027. Splitting the epic allows the film to spend time on characters rather than racing through the best-known episodes, and it gives the studio two big tentpole dates in consecutive years.
The partnership with DNEG, the visual effects company owned by Prime Focus, is also central to the pitch. The studio has worked on major Hollywood productions, and the Ramayana team has positioned the film as an Indian story told with international-grade craft.
A pan-India cast by design
The casting itself sends a message. Ranbir Kapoor is one of Hindi cinema's biggest stars, Yash became a nationwide name with the KGF films, and Sai Pallavi has a loyal following across Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam audiences. Pairing them under a director known for Dangal is a deliberate attempt to pull in viewers from every language market at once.
Holding the international trailer event in Bengaluru, instead of Mumbai, underlines that strategy. Karnataka is expected to be a key market given Yash's involvement both in front of and behind the camera.
What it means for moviegoers in India
For audiences, the most practical takeaway is the date: November 5, 2026. The film will release in five Indian languages on the same day, so viewers in the South will not have to wait for dubbed versions. An IMAX presentation is also planned, which usually means limited premium screens and early sell-outs in big cities.
Distribution in the Hindi-speaking belt sits with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, a company with deep relationships with exhibitors. That should help Ramayana secure wide screen counts during what is expected to be a crowded post-Diwali window.
The trailer debate
Earlier promos drew strong reactions online, with fans praising the scale and some viewers debating the look of the computer-generated sequences. The international trailer is the makers' chance to settle those conversations before advance bookings open, and early social media reaction will be watched closely by trade analysts.
What happens next
With the Bengaluru event done, the cast is expected to move into a busy promotional schedule across India and overseas markets in the run-up to November 5. Advance booking dates, censor certification and final runtime are the next details fans are waiting on. Once Part I is out, attention will quickly shift to Part II, which the makers have already slotted for Diwali 2027.
For now, the message from Bengaluru is clear: Ramayana is being sold not as a regional or a Hindi release, but as an Indian film aimed at the whole world.
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