Ramayan Movie Story
The oldest story in human civilisation, adapted for the biggest screen. Nitesh Tiwari's two-part cinematic retelling of the Valmiki Ramayana — in cinemas November 8, 2026 (India) · November 6, 2026 (worldwide).
The Source — Valmiki's Ramayana
The Ramayana is the adi-kavya — the first poem ever composed in human history — written by the sage Valmiki approximately 2,500 years ago in Sanskrit. It spans seven books (kandas) and over 24,000 verses (shlokas), making it one of the longest and most influential literary works ever created. The seven kandas — Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha, and Uttara — trace the complete arc of Lord Ram's life, from his divine birth in Ayodhya to his final return.
Director Nitesh Tiwari has confirmed that his adaptation is firmly rooted in Valmiki's version — choosing it specifically despite over 300 regional variations of the Ramayana existing across South and Southeast Asia. His stated approach: remain faithful to the original where the text demands reverence, and take creative leaps where cinematic storytelling allows — always keeping emotions, not spectacle, at the heart.
The two films together span the first six kandas of the Valmiki Ramayana — from Ram's birth and education under sage Vishwamitra, through his marriage to Sita, the 14-year exile, Sita's abduction, Hanuman's legendary mission to Lanka, the great war, and the triumphant return to Ayodhya that the world celebrates as Diwali. The production features a score by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman — their first-ever collaboration — and visual effects by DNEG, the eight-time Oscar-winning studio behind Dune, Interstellar, and Inception.
Part 1 — In Cinemas Nov 8, 2026 India · Nov 6 worldwide
Birth, Exile & The Abduction
Bala Kanda — The Prince of Ayodhya
The story begins in the golden city of Ayodhya, ruled by the righteous King Dasharatha (Arun Govil). Ram — the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu — is born as the eldest of four princes. As a young prince, Ram is taken by the sage Vishwamitra to protect his sacred yagna from demon attacks. Ram slays the powerful demoness Tataka and her son Subahu, proving his divine martial prowess. Vishwamitra then leads Ram and Lakshmana to the kingdom of Mithila, where King Janaka has declared a Swayamvar — whoever can string Lord Shiva's divine bow, the Pinaka, shall marry his daughter Sita. No king or warrior has ever moved the bow. Ram lifts it with one hand and snaps it in half, winning Sita's hand in marriage. The prince and princess are wed in one of the most celebrated unions in all of Indian literature.
Ayodhya Kanda — The Exile
Ayodhya prepares for Ram's coronation as heir-apparent. But on the eve of the ceremony, Queen Kaikeyi (Lara Dutta) — poisoned by her scheming maid Manthara (Sheeba Chaddha) — invokes two ancient boons from King Dasharatha: that her son Bharata be crowned king, and that Ram be exiled to the forest for 14 years. Dasharatha is shattered. But Ram, bound by dharma and his father's word, accepts without a moment's hesitation — choosing duty over power. Sita refuses to stay behind, declaring that a wife's place is beside her husband. Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey) joins them. The three walk out of the golden palace gates and into the wilderness of the Dandaka Forest. Dasharatha, unable to bear the separation, dies of grief.
Aranya Kanda — The Forest, The Deception & The Abduction
In the Dandaka Forest, Ram, Sita, and Lakshmana live among sages for 13 years. The peace is broken when Surpanakha (Rakul Preet Singh) — Ravana's sister — falls in love with Ram and is rejected. Humiliated, she rushes to Lanka and plants the seed of obsession in Ravana's mind by describing Sita's beauty. Ravana engineers an elaborate trap: he sends the shape-shifting demon Maricha disguised as a golden deer to lure Ram away. When Lakshmana is also drawn away by a false cry for help, Ravana arrives disguised as a wandering ascetic and abducts Sita, carrying her through the sky in his flying chariot, the Pushpaka Vimana. The great eagle king Jatayu (voiced by Anupam Kher) intercepts Ravana mid-flight and fights to save Sita, but Ravana severs his wings. Ram finds the dying Jatayu, who uses his last breath to tell Ram that Sita was taken southward. Director Nitesh Tiwari has confirmed Part 1 ends on a dramatic cliffhanger — likely around this pivotal moment.
Part 2 — In Cinemas Diwali 2027
The Alliance, The War & The Return
Kishkindha Kanda — Ram Meets Hanuman & The Vanar Alliance
Grief-stricken but unbroken, Ram and Lakshmana travel south in search of Sita. They reach Kishkindha, the kingdom of the Vanars, where they meet Hanuman (Sunny Deol) — the son of the Wind God Vayu. Hanuman's devotion to Ram is instantaneous and absolute. Ram helps the exiled Vanar king Sugriva reclaim his throne from his brother Vali, and in return, Sugriva pledges his entire Vanar Sena — an army of millions — to Ram's cause. Scouts are sent in all directions to find Sita. It is Hanuman who learns she is held captive in Ravana's Lanka, across the vast ocean.
Sundara Kanda — Hanuman's Solo Mission to Lanka
In one of the Ramayana's most celebrated chapters, Hanuman expands to the size of a mountain and leaps across the ocean in a single bound — landing in Lanka, the city of gold. He searches the entire city and finally finds Sita in the Ashoka Vatika garden, imprisoned and refusing every offer and threat from Ravana. Hanuman reveals Ram's ring, delivers his message, and restores Sita's hope. He then allows himself to be captured and brought before Ravana's court. When Ravana's men set fire to his tail as punishment, Hanuman uses the flames to set Lanka ablaze, burning a significant portion of the golden city before leaping back across the ocean to Ram. His message is clear: Sita is alive, she is steadfast, and Ram is coming.
Yuddha Kanda — The Rama Setu, The Great War & The Return
The Vanar Sena constructs the Rama Setu — a floating stone bridge across the ocean to Lanka, engineered by the Vanar architect Nala and built in five days. Ram's army crosses and the war begins. Ravana sends his mightiest warriors: Meghnad (Indrajit), who once defeated Lord Indra himself; and the colossal Kumbhakarna (Faisal Malik), a giant who sleeps for six months at a time. One by one, they fall. The final confrontation is the defining moment of the Ramayana — Ram faces Ravana on the battlefield. After a cosmic battle, Ram's divine Brahmastra pierces Ravana's navel — his only point of mortality — ending the tyrant's reign. Sita is freed. The 14-year exile complete, Ram and Sita board the Pushpaka Vimana and fly to Ayodhya — where the entire kingdom has lit thousands of oil lamps to welcome them home. This homecoming is the origin of Diwali. Ram's coronation begins the era of Ram Rajya — the gold standard of righteous governance.
Key Cinematic Moments to Watch
The scenes that will define Nitesh Tiwari's epic — brought to life by DNEG's VFX artistry
Ram Breaks the Pinaka
Ram lifts Lord Shiva's divine bow that no king could move, and snaps it with one hand — winning Sita's hand at the Swayamvar in Mithila
The Exile from Ayodhya
Ram walks out of the golden palace gates into 14 years of forest exile — choosing dharma over the throne, while Ayodhya weeps
The Golden Deer Deception
Ravana's elaborate trap — Maricha disguised as a golden deer — the moment of misdirection that changes the course of history
Jatayu's Last Stand
The great eagle king intercepts Ravana mid-flight and fights barehanded to save Sita, giving his life so Ram would know which direction she was taken
Hanuman Leaps the Ocean
Hanuman expands to mountain size and crosses the entire ocean in a single bound to reach Lanka — a centrepiece VFX sequence powered by DNEG
Lanka Burns
Hanuman turns his burning tail into a weapon, setting Ravana's golden city ablaze — the signal to all of Lanka that Ram is coming
The Rama Setu
An army of Vanars builds a floating stone bridge across the ocean in five days — one of the great engineering miracles of world mythology
Ram vs. Ravana
The final confrontation — the avatar of Vishnu against the devotee of Shiva — a cosmic battle 14 years in the making
The Return to Ayodhya
Ram and Sita fly home in the Pushpaka Vimana. Ayodhya is illuminated with thousands of oil lamps — the origin of the festival the world calls Diwali
The Themes of Ramayan
Why a 2,500-year-old story remains the most told narrative on Earth
Dharma — Righteous Duty Above All
Ram accepts exile to honour his father's word, even though it means giving up a kingdom. He fights Ravana not out of anger, but because it is his sacred duty to protect dharma. The Ramayana's central question — what does it mean to do the right thing when it costs you everything? — remains as relevant today as it was 2,500 years ago.
Bhakti — The Power of Devotion
Hanuman's selfless love for Ram is considered the purest expression of devotion in all of Hindu philosophy. He acts without desire for reward, recognition, or personal glory. The Ramayana teaches that true devotion is itself a form of divine power — capable of crossing oceans, moving mountains, and conquering the impossible.
The Tragedy of Ravana
Ravana is no ordinary villain. He is a Brahmin scholar who mastered all four Vedas, a musician who could make the gods weep with his Rudra Veena, a devoted follower of Lord Shiva, and a king who built Lanka into the wealthiest city in the world. His tragedy — and the Ramayana's moral lesson — is that even the greatest intellect and power, when corrupted by ego and unchecked desire, become instruments of self-destruction.
The Strength of Sita
Sita is not a passive figure in the Ramayana. She chooses to accompany Ram into exile of her own will, declaring her right to stand beside her husband. In captivity, she refuses Ravana's every offer of wealth and power, maintaining her dignity under threat of death. Her moral authority is so absolute that even Ravana — who conquered gods — could not break her spirit. She is the moral centre of the entire epic.
Key Characters
The figures at the heart of the Valmiki Ramayana — and who brings them to life
Lord Ram
Played by Ranbir Kapoor
The seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, prince of Ayodhya, embodiment of dharma. Also plays Parashurama in a double role — the fierce warrior-sage who challenges Ram after the Pinaka is broken.
Devi Sita
Played by Sai Pallavi
Princess of Mithila, daughter of King Janaka, avatar of Goddess Lakshmi. A woman of extraordinary inner strength whose moral authority holds the entire epic together.
Ravana
Played by Yash
The ten-headed scholar-king of Lanka — Vedic scholar, master musician, devotee of Shiva, and the most complex antagonist in world mythology. Yash also co-produces through Monster Mind Creations.
Hanuman
Played by Sunny Deol
The divine son of Vayu (Wind God) — Ram's most devoted warrior, capable of crossing oceans and carrying mountains. The spiritual heart of the Ramayana.
Lakshmana
Played by Ravi Dubey
Ram's loyal younger brother who chose 14 years of exile in the forest over a life of comfort in the palace — the embodiment of fraternal duty and sacrifice.
King Dasharatha
Played by Arun Govil
The beloved king of Ayodhya and Ram's father. Arun Govil — who played Ram in the iconic 1987 TV Ramayan — now portrays the father torn between his promise and his son.
Mandodari
Played by Kajal Aggarwal
Ravana's wise and righteous queen, who repeatedly warns him against the abduction of Sita and foresees the destruction his hubris will bring upon Lanka.
Kaikeyi
Played by Lara Dutta
Ram's stepmother whose two fateful boons set the entire epic in motion — a morally complex figure driven by maternal ambition and Manthara's manipulation.
Surpanakha
Played by Rakul Preet Singh
Ravana's sister whose encounter with Ram in the Dandaka Forest becomes the catalyst for Ravana's obsession with Sita — the spark that ignites the war.
Story FAQs
Key questions about the Ramayan story — answered
What is the Ramayan movie about?
Ramayan is a two-part cinematic epic directed by Nitesh Tiwari, adapted from the Valmiki Ramayana — the ancient Sanskrit poem (adi-kavya) composed approximately 2,500 years ago. The film follows Prince Ram of Ayodhya through his marriage to Sita, his unjust 14-year exile, Sita's abduction by the demon king Ravana, Ram's alliance with Hanuman and the Vanar Sena, and the climactic war at Lanka — culminating in Ram's return to Ayodhya, the event celebrated worldwide as Diwali.
What will Ramayan movie Part 1 cover?
Part 1 covers the Bala Kanda and Ayodhya Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana — Ram's early life under sage Vishwamitra's guidance, the slaying of demoness Tataka, the breaking of Lord Shiva's Pinaka bow at Sita's Swayamvar in Mithila, the marriage, the exile engineered by Queen Kaikeyi, the forest years in Dandaka, the encounter with Surpanakha, the golden deer deception by Maricha, Sita's abduction by Ravana, and Jatayu's sacrifice. Director Nitesh Tiwari has confirmed Part 1 ends on a dramatic cliffhanger.
What will Ramayan movie Part 2 cover?
Part 2 covers the Sundara Kanda, Yuddha Kanda, and Uttara Kanda — Hanuman's solo mission across the ocean to Lanka, finding Sita in the Ashoka Vatika, burning Lanka, the construction of the Rama Setu bridge, the epic war between Ram's Vanar Sena and Ravana's army, the fall of Meghnad (Indrajit) and Kumbhakarna, the climactic battle between Ram and Ravana, Sita's liberation, and Ram's triumphant return to Ayodhya — the origin of Diwali. Part 2 releases Diwali 2027.
Is the Ramayan movie faithful to the original Valmiki Ramayana?
Director Nitesh Tiwari has stated in interviews that the film is firmly rooted in Valmiki's version of the Ramayana. His approach is: "Wherever you are not supposed to take any creativity, we have not taken any creativity, but wherever you can take a leap of faith, we have gone ahead and done that." The core story, characters, and dharmic themes remain faithful to the source text, while the cinematic presentation brings modern visual grandeur to the ancient narrative.
Who is Ravana in the Ramayan movie?
Ravana, played by Yash, is the ten-headed demon king of Lanka. He is one of mythology's most complex antagonists — a scholar of the Vedas, a master musician of the Rudra Veena, a powerful king who built Lanka into a city of gold, and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. Director Nitesh Tiwari has described him as someone who demonstrates how greatness corrupted by ego and vengeance leads to self-destruction. Yash also co-produces the film through Monster Mind Creations.
Who is Hanuman and what is his role in the Ramayan?
Hanuman, played by Sunny Deol, is the son of Vayu (the Wind God) and the most devoted warrior-servant of Lord Ram. Capable of expanding to the size of a mountain, leaping across oceans, and carrying an entire peak of the Dronagiri mountain, Hanuman is central to the story — he discovers Sita's location in Lanka, delivers Ram's message, burns a portion of Lanka, and is instrumental in the final war. His unwavering bhakti (devotion) to Ram is the spiritual heart of the entire Ramayana.
Why was Ram exiled for 14 years?
On the eve of Ram's coronation as king of Ayodhya, his stepmother Kaikeyi (played by Lara Dutta) — manipulated by her maid Manthara (Sheeba Chaddha) — invoked two ancient boons promised to her by King Dasharatha (Arun Govil). She demanded that her son Bharata be crowned king instead, and that Ram be banished to the forest for 14 years. Bound by his father's word and his own unbreakable code of dharma, Ram accepted the exile without protest. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana (Ravi Dubey) insisted on accompanying him.
What is the source material for the Ramayan movie?
The film is adapted from the Valmiki Ramayana, the adi-kavya (first poem) of Sanskrit literature, composed approximately 2,500 years ago. The original text spans seven books (kandas) — Bala Kanda, Ayodhya Kanda, Aranya Kanda, Kishkindha Kanda, Sundara Kanda, Yuddha Kanda, and Uttara Kanda — with over 24,000 verses (shlokas). Director Nitesh Tiwari studied the original Sanskrit text and chose Valmiki's version specifically, despite over 300 regional variations existing across South and Southeast Asia.
What is the Rama Setu bridge in the Ramayan?
The Rama Setu (also called Adam's Bridge) is the floating stone bridge built by the Vanar Sena across the ocean from India to Lanka. According to the Valmiki Ramayana, the Vanar architect Nala supervised the construction, and the stones floated because Ram's name was inscribed on them. The bridge was reportedly built in five days. This sequence is expected to be one of the most spectacular VFX set pieces in Part 2, powered by DNEG — the eight-time Oscar-winning visual effects studio behind Dune, Interstellar, and Inception.
What is the significance of Diwali in the Ramayan?
Diwali — the Festival of Lights — originates from the Ramayana. After 14 years of exile and the defeat of Ravana at Lanka, Ram and Sita returned to Ayodhya. The people of the kingdom lit thousands of oil lamps (diyas) to welcome their prince home, illuminating the entire city. This homecoming is the reason Diwali is celebrated across the world. The film's Part 1 release on November 8, 2026 coincides with Diwali — a deliberate choice by the filmmakers to honour this connection.