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The trailer of Nitesh Tiwari’s much-anticipated Ramayana was launched at a special event held in New Delhi today (July 18). The official launch will be
at the San Diego Comic-Con 2026 later this month. At the event, titled Pratham Sankalp, the cast of the magnum opus addressed the Delhi media and shared their thoughts on working on Ramayana. Ranbir Kapoor, who plays the lead role of Shri Rama, took centre stage to thank Arun Govil for inspiring generations of actors with his performance as Maryada Purshottam in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic show, Ramayan.
Ranbir Kapoor says he was inspired by OG Ram, Arun Govil
Beginning his speech with ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Ranbir informed the guests that he had been diagnosed with conjunctivitis and hence had to wear black glasses to avoid spreading the infection. He dedicated his speech to Arun, who will be seen in the role of King Dashrath in Ramayana, for being his guiding force and depicting Lord Ram’s values on screen with dignity.
Ranbir said, “Aapne yeh zimmedari saalon se itni khubsoorati, sacchayi aur dignity se pesh kiya hai. Aapka yeh safar mere jaise actors, sirf mere hi nahi, uss har insaan jisne Ramanand Sagar ki Ramayan dekhi hai aapne unko bharosa aur Prerna di hai. Jaise aapne Bhagwan Shri Ram ko apne andar utara hai, agar main itna bhi kar pau toh mere liye mehnat safal aur rang layegi. Bachpan se sir Bhagwan Shri Ram ka ashirwad aur unki seekh aur aapka chehra dil mein rakhkar bada hua hu. We love you like you are our own.”
(Translation: You have carried the responsibility [of playing Shri Ram] beautifully, honestly and with dignity over the years. Your journey, not just for actors like me but for all those who have grown up watching Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, has been inspiring. You have instilled faith and trust in them. I only hope my work does justice to the legacy you have carried. I have grown up with Shri Ram’s blessings and your image of Him in my heart. We love you like you are our own.)
About Ramayana
Besides Ranbir, Ramayana stars Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita. Yash is making his Bollywood debut as Ravana. Sunny Deol is Lord Hanuman, Ravi Dubey will play Lakshman, and Lara Dutta will portray Kaikeyi. Rakul Preet Singh has been chosen to play Surpanakha. Kajal Aggarwal is Mandodari, whereas Arun Govil is King Dashrath. Vivek Oberoi will play Vidyutjihva, Kunal Kapoor is Lord Indra, Adinath Kothare joins the cast as Bharat, and Mohit Raina is expected to play Lord Shiva.
The first part of Ramayana will be releasing on Diwali 2026. The film will continue with its next part in 2027.
