As Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious two-part Ramayana approaches its Diwali 2026 release, Kapoor’s portrayal of Lord Rama is emerging as one of the film’s most closely watched elements.
Our Bureau
Mumbai / Los Angeles
For Ranbir Kapoor, playing Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana is not simply another major role in a film career filled with diverse characters. The actor has described the part as a responsibility, reflecting the special place the epic occupies in Indian cultural and religious consciousness.
The makers of Ramayana underlined that responsibility on Kapoor’s birthday by releasing a behind-the-scenes video offering a glimpse of his preparation for the role. The video shows Kapoor working on his character alongside director Nitesh Tiwari and the film’s ensemble cast, while also revealing the scale of the production being mounted around the epic.
Tiwari speaks in the video about the importance of finding the right actor for a story such as Ramayana, given the deep faith and emotional connection that audiences have with the epic. Kapoor, meanwhile, says that he approaches the role with a sense of responsibility rather than treating Rama simply as another character.
That distinction is central to the expectations surrounding the film. Rama is not merely one of the protagonists of the epic; the character carries a cultural significance that makes the casting and portrayal particularly sensitive. For Kapoor, therefore, the challenge extends beyond performance and action. It involves presenting a character familiar to generations of Indians while interpreting him within the cinematic world created by Tiwari.
The behind-the-scenes video also provides glimpses of the preparation that has gone into building Kapoor’s version of Rama. The actor has undergone extensive action training, with international action director Terry Notary working with him on the film’s action sequences. Stunt professionals from different parts of the world have also been brought into the production.
The physical preparation reflects the scale at which the filmmakers are approaching the epic. Rather than relying only on established Bollywood production practices, producer Namit Malhotra has assembled Indian and international creative and technical talent for the project.
Kapoor is joined by Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Arun Govil, who played Rama in the iconic television adaptation of Ramayan, appears as King Dashrath in the new film.
The presence of Govil adds another layer to the project’s cultural resonance. His portrayal of Rama remains strongly associated with the television era of the epic, making his participation in Tiwari’s film an interesting link between two generations of screen adaptations.
The relationship between the central characters is also becoming part of the film’s public narrative. Dubey, speaking earlier about playing Lakshman, described his approach to the role in terms of “surrender”, reflecting the character’s devotion to Rama.
The filmmakers have been gradually releasing material from Ramayana as anticipation builds around the project. A recently released trailer and the latest behind-the-scenes video have offered audiences glimpses of the film’s cast, action preparation and visual scale without revealing the entire cinematic treatment of the epic.
The film is being produced by Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash’s Monster Mind Creations. It is planned as a two-part production, with the first part scheduled to arrive worldwide during Diwali 2026 and the second during Diwali 2027.
The two films are planned for release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam across India, while Sony Pictures will handle global distribution outside India. Dharma Productions will distribute the film in the Hindi-speaking market. The project is also planned for a worldwide IMAX release.
For Kapoor, however, the immediate focus remains the character at the centre of the production. His decision to describe Rama as a responsibility captures the unusual demands of the role.
With the film seeking to combine the cultural roots of the epic with international filmmaking technology and action expertise, Kapoor’s performance will be one of the key elements through which audiences experience this new cinematic interpretation of Rama.
The scale of Ramayana may generate the headlines, but the actor playing Rama will ultimately have to carry the emotional centre of the story. For Kapoor, that journey has begun not merely with the preparation for a demanding film role, but with an awareness of the weight attached to the character he has been chosen to portray.