Ramayana Gets PG-13 in USA — Hindi 3h15m vs English 2h45m: Two Films, Two Runtimes

In a move unprecedented for Indian cinema, Ramayana: Rise of a Legend will release as two distinctly different films in the United States on November 5, 2026. Major American theatre chains — AMC, Fandango, Cinemark, and Galaxy Theatres — have listed both a Hindi version (with English subtitles) and a separate English-language version, each with significantly different runtimes. The Hindi cut clocks in at 3 hours and 15 minutes, while the English version runs just 2 hours and 45 minutes — a 30-minute difference that has sparked intense debate among fans and trade analysts.

PG-13 Rating: What It Means

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has assigned Ramayana a PG-13 rating — "Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13." The specific reasons cited are "intense action and violence" and "some graphic imagery involving blood."

For context, this is the same rating held by films like The Dark Knight, Avatar, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy — all epic blockbusters with large-scale battle sequences. The PG-13 classification positions Ramayana squarely in the mainstream Hollywood blockbuster category, ensuring it can attract the widest possible audience without being restricted by an R rating.

This is Ranbir Kapoor's second film to receive a US classification after Animal (2023), which received an R rating for its violent content. The PG-13 for Ramayana suggests that while the battle sequences are intense, they are presented within a more restrained visual framework — appropriate for a mythological epic meant to inspire rather than shock.

Why Two Different Runtimes?

The 30-minute difference between the Hindi and English versions is not random — it reflects a deliberate creative and commercial strategy by director Nitesh Tiwari and producer Namit Malhotra.

The Hindi version (3h15m) includes the full complement of songs composed by AR Rahman, an intermission break (a standard feature of Indian theatrical releases), and reportedly extended emotional sequences — particularly the Ram-Dashrath farewell and the Sita swayamvar scenes — that resonate deeply with Indian audiences familiar with the source material.

The English version (2h45m) removes all songs entirely, eliminates the intermission, and trims certain sequences to create a tighter, faster-paced narrative. This is designed for Western audiences who are accustomed to non-musical epic films and may not connect with the song-and-dance tradition of Indian cinema.

Songs Removed — Bollywood's Biggest Gamble

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of this dual-version strategy is the complete removal of songs from the English cut. Songs have been central to Indian cinema for nearly a century — removing them from Ramayana's international release is a bold statement about how the filmmakers view the global market.

The decision makes commercial sense when you examine precedent. Baahubali 2's international success came despite its songs, not because of them — international audiences often cited the songs as the film's weakest elements. RRR's global phenomenon status was driven by its action and emotion, with the "Naatu Naatu" sequence being the notable exception as it transcended cultural boundaries to win an Oscar.

By creating a song-free English version, Ramayana's makers are betting that the core narrative — Ram's exile, Sita's abduction, the alliance with Hanuman, and the war against Ravana — is compelling enough to stand on its own without musical interludes. It is a gamble, but one informed by years of observing how international audiences consume Indian content.

US Theatre Chain Listings

The fact that major US chains are listing Ramayana is itself a significant milestone for Indian cinema. Here is the current status across major platforms:

• AMC Theatres: Both Hindi (with English subtitles) and English versions listed separately, confirming dual-version release strategy.
• Fandango: Ramayana listed with full ticketing infrastructure ready for advance sales.
• Cinemark: Hindi version with English subtitles confirmed on the platform.
• Galaxy Theatres: Listed for November 5 release across multiple locations.

The wide listing across these chains — which collectively control over 70% of US theatrical screens — suggests that Sony Pictures (the international distributor) has secured a distribution scale previously unseen for an Indian film in North America.

What This Means for Ramayana's US Box Office

Indian films in the US market have traditionally been limited to diaspora audiences watching Hindi versions in select theatres. By offering a dedicated English version with a Hollywood-standard runtime and PG-13 rating, Ramayana is making a play for crossover audiences — the same viewers who made Parasite, RRR (at awards screenings), and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon cultural phenomena.

The dual-version strategy also allows the film to maximise screen count. Instead of competing for limited "foreign language" screen allocations, the English version can be booked on mainstream screens alongside Hollywood releases, while the Hindi version plays on screens targeting the Indian diaspora. Together, they could push Ramayana's US screen count well beyond the 800-1,000 screens that top Bollywood releases typically achieve.