Ramayan Movie Shooting Locations — Ayodhya, Rajasthan, Sri Lanka & Massive VFX Sets

Shooting the World of Ramayan

Creating the world of Ramayan on screen requires two parallel approaches: real-world shooting locations that ground the film in authentic Indian and South Asian landscapes, and an enormous VFX infrastructure that builds the mythological world beyond physical possibility.

Nitesh Tiwari and his production team have used both to create what promises to be the most visually ambitious Indian film ever made.

Ayodhya — The Heart of the Story

Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram and the capital of his kingdom, was a central reference and shooting location. The production team spent significant time in the holy city, absorbing its spiritual atmosphere to inform the visual language of the cinematic Ayodhya. The city's ancient temples, ghats along the Sarayu river, and the newly constructed Ram Mandir all contribute to the film's visual and emotional authenticity.

Rajasthan — Forests, Landscapes & the Exile Sequences

The forests of Dandakaranya — where Ram, Sita, and Lakshmana spent their 14 years of exile — required vast, untouched natural landscapes. Rajasthan's diverse terrain provided ideal backdrops for the exile sequences, with its ancient forests, dramatic rocky outcrops, and wide open spaces evoking the wilderness of ancient India.

Sri Lanka — The Kingdom of Lanka

Sri Lanka, traditionally identified as the historical location of Ravana's Lanka, was used for key sequences set in the demon king's kingdom. The island nation's lush tropical vegetation, dramatic coastlines, and ancient ruins — including Sigiriya (the legendary Lion Rock) — provide the authentic backdrop for Lanka that no Indian location can replicate. Sri Lanka's government reportedly extended full cooperation to the Ramayan production team.

Mumbai VFX Studios — Where the Epic Comes to Life

The vast majority of Ramayan's spectacular visuals are being created digitally. DNEG — one of the world's leading visual effects companies and a key producer of the film — has dedicated significant resources to building ancient Ayodhya's palace complex, the golden towers of Lanka, the Pushpaka Vimana, Ravana's ten-headed form, the Rama Setu bridge, and the cosmic battle sequences.

With over 1,200 VFX artists working across multiple studios in India and internationally, the digital environments of Ramayan represent the single largest VFX undertaking in Indian cinema history.

Physical Sets

In addition to real locations and CGI environments, massive physical sets were constructed in Mumbai for key scenes — including sections of Ayodhya's royal palace and portions of Lanka's architecture. These physical sets were then extended into their full epic scale using VFX, combining practical and digital filmmaking at the highest level.