Ranbir Kapoor's much-awaited epic Ramayana: Part 1 has received a big boost two weeks before its release. West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has declared the film tax-free in the state, announcing the decision during Dussehra celebrations in Kolkata on Tuesday, where Ranbir and co-star Yash were present. The film releases in cinemas worldwide on November 5.
The announcement came on the same day that advance bookings for the film opened, making it a busy festive day for one of Indian cinema's most ambitious projects.
A Dussehra night in Salt Lake
The celebration was held at Central Park in Salt Lake, Kolkata, organised by the Salt Lake Sanskritik Sansad around the theme "Ram Er Ayodhya – Ram Ki Ayodhya". The evening featured a large statue of Lord Ram, cultural performances, visual displays and a drone light show. Chief Minister Adhikari lit a 60-foot Ravana effigy during the Ravan Dahan ceremony.
Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram, and Yash, who plays Ravana, attended along with producer Namit Malhotra, director Nitesh Tiwari and actor Ravie Dubey, who plays Lakshman. For fans, seeing the screen Ram and Ravana together on Dussehra night was a moment that quickly spread across social media.
What the Chief Minister said
Speaking to the news agency ANI, Adhikari said, "The Ramayana film has been made tax-free." He placed the decision alongside films such as The Kerala Story, The Kashmir Files and The Bengal Files, which he said have been or will be given similar treatment in the state. He also suggested that future films on Lord Krishna, Arjuna and the Mahabharata could receive the same support.
The finer details of how the exemption will work have not been spelled out yet, so the exact impact on ticket prices in West Bengal will depend on how the state's share of tax on tickets is handled.
Ramayana: Part 1 at a glance
| Film | Ramayana: Part 1 |
| Director | Nitesh Tiwari |
| Producers | Namit Malhotra (Prime Focus Studios, DNEG) and Yash (Monster Mind Creations) |
| Release date | November 5, 2026 |
| Languages | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam |
| Tax status | Tax-free in West Bengal |
| Part 2 | Planned for Diwali 2027 |
The star cast
The film has assembled one of the biggest ensembles in recent memory:
- Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram
- Sai Pallavi as Sita
- Yash as Ravana
- Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman
- Ravie Dubey as Lakshman
- Arun Govil as King Dasharatha
- Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Kajal Aggarwal as Mandodari and Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha
Nitesh Tiwari, best known for Dangal, has co-written the screenplay with Shridhar Raghavan. The film is being made with large-scale visual effects by DNEG, the Oscar-winning studio linked to producer Namit Malhotra.
Why the film is such a big deal
Ramayana has been in the making for several years and is being released in two parts, with the second chapter planned for Diwali 2027. The makers have pitched it as a global retelling of the epic, with a scale of visual effects rarely attempted in Indian cinema. Releasing in five languages on the same day, the film is aimed squarely at audiences across the country, from Hindi-speaking markets to the southern states where Yash and Sai Pallavi have huge fan bases.
The casting itself has kept the film in the headlines. Arun Govil, who played Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's iconic television series in the late 1980s, now plays King Dasharatha – a choice that has struck an emotional chord with viewers who grew up watching that show.
What it means for audiences
For moviegoers in West Bengal, a tax exemption usually means a little relief on ticket prices, which matters for a big-screen spectacle that many families are expected to watch together. Mythological films have historically drawn strong family audiences across India, and makers are clearly hoping that the festive window between Dussehra and Diwali will help the film turn into a pan-India event.
The decision is also likely to spark conversation about whether other states will follow. For now, reports have confirmed the exemption only in West Bengal.
What happens next
With advance bookings open and the release on November 5, the promotional campaign is expected to step up over the next two weeks. Early overseas sales have already been strong, and trade watchers will be tracking how the opening weekend shapes up against other big releases this year.
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