Ramayana Runtime Revealed by Ranbir Kapoor — 3 Hours Per Part, 6 Hours Total Epic

Ranbir Reveals the Scale

In an interview with Collider in Los Angeles, Ranbir Kapoor revealed that each part of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana will be approximately 3 hours long. The combined two-part saga will span roughly 6 hours — making it the most ambitious runtime in Indian cinema history.

Why 3 Hours?

The Valmiki Ramayana is one of the longest and most detailed epics in world literature, spanning seven kandas (books) and over 24,000 shlokas. Compressing this into a single film was never an option. Even at 6 hours across two films, Nitesh Tiwari has had to make significant choices about what to include and what to leave out.

Part 1 vs Part 2 Split

Part 1 is expected to cover the events from Ram's early life in Ayodhya through the exile, the Swayamvar, the 14-year vanvas, and culminate with Sita's abduction by Ravana — the emotional turning point of the epic. Part 2 will pick up with Hanuman's search for Sita, the building of Ram Setu, the Lanka war, and the triumphant return to Ayodhya.

CBFC Certification

The CBFC has already cleared the Ramayana trailer with a 'U' (Universal) certificate. The regular trailer runs 4 minutes 15 seconds, while the cinema cut is exactly 4 minutes. The full film is expected to receive a 'U' certificate as well, given the source material's spiritual and cultural significance.

Context: How It Compares

For comparison, Baahubali's two parts combined ran approximately 5 hours 20 minutes. The Lord of the Rings extended trilogy runs about 11.5 hours. At 6 hours, Ramayana positions itself as India's most ambitious film saga while remaining more accessible than the extended LOTR marathon.

Is 3 Hours Too Long? What the Data Says

Three hours is a significant runtime — but audience research on blockbuster epics consistently shows that length is not a deterrent when the subject matter demands it. Avengers: Endgame ran 3 hours 1 minute and broke every opening record at the time. The Dark Knight Rises ran 2 hours 45 minutes. Dangal ran 2 hours 41 minutes and became India's highest-grossing film internationally for years.

For Ramayana specifically, the subject demands the runtime. The Valmiki Ramayana contains 24,000 shlokas across seven kandas. Even at 3 hours per part, Nitesh Tiwari is compressing an enormous amount of material into a cinematic format. Audiences who understand what they are watching will not feel that 3 hours is excessive — they will wish it were even longer.

Interval or No Interval?

At 3 hours, the question of an interval (intermission) becomes important for Indian audiences. Indian cinema has a long tradition of a 10–15 minute break at the midpoint of long films, and most theatres in India will schedule an interval for Ramayana. The question is where Nitesh Tiwari places the narrative break.

Based on the expected story structure — Part 1 covering Ram's life from Ayodhya through Sita's abduction — the natural interval point would be somewhere in the second hour, before the film builds to its emotional climax. The interval will likely follow a significant emotional moment, giving audiences time to absorb what they have just witnessed before the final act begins.

International screenings (outside India) may or may not have a scheduled interval, depending on the theatre chain's local preferences. In the UK, US, and Australia, most multiplexes do not schedule breaks for Indian films — though some diaspora-focused cinema events may choose to include one.

How Cinemas Are Adjusting for 3-Hour Shows

A 3-hour film changes operational logistics for cinema chains. PVR-INOX and Cinepolis have confirmed they are planning for reduced show frequency — most screens will run 3–4 shows per day for Ramayana rather than the standard 5–6 shows possible for a 2-hour film. This creates natural scarcity, particularly for IMAX and 4DX formats where only 2–3 shows per day are possible.

For audiences, this means one practical consequence: planning ahead is essential. An IMAX cinema offering only 2 screenings per day of a film with blockbuster-level demand will sell out far faster than typical releases. Booking the moment advance booking opens — expected in mid-October 2026 — is the only reliable strategy for securing premium format seats.