Kamal Ghorui
‘Ramayana: Part 1’ is one of the most awaited movies of the year. The makers recently launched the first look of Rama teaser featuring Ranbir Kapoor, at an event in LA and in Mumbai. As the film has become a topic of discussion on the internet, director Nitesh Tiwari has shared that his cinematic adaptation will present Ravana in a more layered and humanised light, rather than portraying him as a one-dimensional antagonist. For those not in the know, ‘KGF’ star Yash is set to play Raavan in the film. According to the filmmaker, Yash’s portrayal will highlight not just Ravana’s darker traits, but also his virtues, such as his devotion to Lord Shiva, his musical prowess, and his qualities as a capable ruler—while showing how ego and anger ultimately lead to his downfall.Speaking at the film’s teaser launch in Los Angeles, Nitesh told Collider, “See, Ravana had so many aspects to his life. He was a great warrior, he was an accomplished musician, a scholar, a benevolent king… a great Shiva devotee. There was so much to him than just being a black character.”He further revealed his motive behind this adding, “… It’s very important for us to showcase all these bits and aspects of Ravana because there’s a very important lesson which is hiding in them. You can have all these great qualities, but if you are governed by vengeance and if you are driven by ego, then you know what the end result is going to be. There’s a great lesson out there.”At the same event, Ranbir Kapoor also spoke about Yash stepping into the role of Ravana, praising his screen presence. “Yash, of course, he has the stardom that he has. To play Ravana, you need somebody who has that aura and screen presence. His interpretation of Ravana is very different from what we have seen over the years. I think that’s something which the audiences will really enjoy watching on the big screen.”Interestingly, Yash is also backing the project as a producer. Speaking about his involvement in April 2025, he told Variety, “It has been my long-term aspiration to make films that will showcase Indian cinema on a global level. In pursuit of that, I was in LA to ally with one of the best VFX studios, and to my amazement, the driving force behind it was a fellow Indian.”He further revealed how his collaboration with producer Namit Malhotra came together: “Namit (Malhotra, producer) and I had various ideation sessions, and coincidentally, our synergy on the vision for Indian cinema aligned perfectly. We brainstormed various projects, and during these discussions, the subject of ‘Ramayana’ came up. Namit had a part of it in the works.”‘Ramayana: Part 1’ features Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman apart from Ranbir as Lord Rama. The first instalment is slated for a global theatrical release during Diwali 2026, with the second part expected to follow in Diwali 2027.
