What is the story about?
As Ramayana buzz soars by the day, Ranbir Kapoor offered a fresh take on the scale of the ambitious mythological adaptation. The actor who plays Lord Rama in
the Nitesh Tiwari directorial said that the epic is so vast that it could have been easily adapted into ten films. He even dropped a major update about Ramayana: Part Two, as the team gears up for the release of Part One in Diwali 2026. Ramayana also stars Yash as Ravana and Sai Pallavi as Sita. Produced by Namit Malhotra, the Hindu epic is currently the most awaited movie of the year, and one of the biggest projects ever made in Indian cinema.
Ranbir says Ramayana needs '10 movies'
Talking about bringing one of India's greatest epics to the big screen, Ranbir confessed it was a huge creative challenge to condense the story into just two films. He credited Tiwari and the writing team for being able to condense the sprawling narrative but retain its emotional and philosophical depth.
In a recent interview with The Direct, he said, "To be honest, to tell Ramayana, you probably need a 10-part movie, but the kind of conciseness in two parts was very hard."
Modern twist with technology
When asked how Ramayana approaches the ancient story from a contemporary perspective, he said the biggest difference is not a change in the story itself, but in the filmmaking technology of today. "I think the modern way is the technology that's used to make a film like this," he said.
Ranbir expressed that the story has been told and retold over thousands of years in many different forms, from theatre to radio, music, and previous films, but today's visual effects allow filmmakers to present the epic on an unprecedented scale. "So I think that's the only thing. But apart from that, I think the more closer you are to the simple soul of the story, it always reaches out to a larger audience," he added.
No creative liberty with the epic
Ranbir also rejected the idea that Ramayana had to be reinterpreted in a big way to appeal to modern audiences. "I don't think a story like Ramayana needs that. I think the text has stayed over 4000 years," he said.
"Lord Rama has been the conscious gatekeeper of millions of people around the world, and I think everything that it talks about courage, good over evil, rightfulness, forgiveness, compassion, ego it's a life lesson," the actor claimed. According to him, anyone who truly understands Ramayana comes out as a "better person."
Already halfway through Part Two production
Ranbir also dropped a surprise update about the sequel. "We're already 50% down shooting Part Two even before the first part is released, because it's a continuing story," he said.
Ranbir further shared that the second part is going to be "even larger, more entertaining," and Hanuman, played by Sunny Deol, will have a much bigger role in the sequel.
Ramayana: Part One
Ramayana: Part One is said to end on a massive cliffhanger that takes us straight into the epic face-off between Lord Rama and Ravana.
Interestingly, both Ranbir Kapoor and Yash have mentioned that they have not shot together in the first part, hinting that the much-anticipated face-off has been largely saved for the second part.
