‘Ramayana’ – Rise of a Legend: Ready for global take-off…

🎥 Early reactions to Ramayana: Part I are mostly positive ahead of its worldwide November release

🎥 A shorter English-dubbed version aims to reach wider international audiences

🎥 Current and earlier promotion centres around Lord Ram and Maa Sita’s relationship and the film’s music by AR Rahman & Hans Zimmer in collaboration

Reportedly one of the most expensive Indian films ever made (at around £200m) – the epic story of Lord Ram hits the big screen worldwide like never before…Produced and developed by one of the key global players in special effects, the London-based Namit Malhotra, this film is generating heat globally wherever it is, ahead of its November 4/5/6 (depending on where in the world you are) release and the film has just enjoyed its world premiere in the US with cast and crew in attendance… 

By Sailesh Ram & Rodrigues C 

THE FIRST reviews are in – from the world premiere screening in Los Angeles on Tuesday evening(October 27) and they are mostly positive – especially about the special effects…
 
It appears that version screened there is the English dubbed film and is slightly shorter than the original Hindi language film. Some there have also seen the Hindi version it seems.  

The English version is being distributed internationally by Sony Pictures and there are reportedly a number of European dubbed language versions. 

This is Ramayana Part I – the second part is expected to be released next year around Diwali time.  
 
Many reviewers have praised the storytelling and special effects but there has been some criticism of the English dubbed version.  The same actors have spoken the English and director Nitesh Tiwari clarified that AI was only used in lip syncing the English words with the pictures. 

The build-up in India itself has been intense and almost unrelenting.  

Featuring Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor, emerging Sai Pallavi and South Indian icon Yash, the film has attracted attention because of its cast, international ambitions, large-scale production and extensive visual-effects work.  

There has been subtlety and nuance in the film’s messaging in recent months.   

 
The filmmakers have just released another track from the film, ‘Jodi Jodi’ – which is a wedding track and composed by AR Rahman and plays out in the wedding scene between Lord Ram and Sita (Pallavi). It was released on October 29, Karwa Chauth – a festival where traditionally wives fast and pray for their husband’s and family’s health and wellbeing. In modern times, some couples fast, pray and celebrate together. 
 
India’s twice winning music academy award winner Rahman and legendary Hans Zimmer have collaborated on the film’s musical score.  

Last month, rather than concentrating on the film’s large-scale battles or visual spectacle, a poster of Kapoor and Pallavi presented a quieter moment between the central characters, and placed their relationship at the heart of the story. That release coincided with Ganesh Chaturthi, another major Hindu festival and confirmed the film’s worldwide theatrical plans for the Diwali period.  

The promotional strategy represents an interesting change of emphasis.  Earlier glimpses had generated discussion about the film’s scale and visual effects, while the new material has begun highlighting the emotional dimension of the story in the build up to its release.  

The movie’s music also moved more into the spotlight in the autumn.  

Before ‘Jodi Jodi’ there was ‘Mangal Rang’ – which attracted some criticism for its Qawwali like quality and similarities to a previous AR Rahman track from the film, ‘Rockstar’.  

The first song, ‘Jai Jai Ram’, was released as part of the promotional campaign, bringing together blockbuster singers Arijit Singh and Shreya Ghoshal. The song reportedly moves through several important stages in Rama’s story, including his relationship with Sita and his connection with his family. Its arrival gives audiences an early indication of how the filmmakers intend to combine the traditional story with the scale of a contemporary cinematic production. Rahman is associated with the film’s music, while the song’s lyrics are credited to Kumar Vishwas.  

The English version of ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ is expected to be approximately 30 minutes shorter than the Hindi version. The international edit is reportedly being created with fewer songs and some trimmed sequences. The international strategy is significant because ‘Ramayana’ is being positioned not simply as a major Hindi-language release but as a film intended to reach viewers across multiple markets. The approach reflects the production team’s desire to present the film to audiences who may be less familiar with the conventions of Indian musical cinema. The Hindi version is expected to retain songs and present the broader Indian theatrical experience.  

The casting remains one of the film’s biggest talking points. Kapoor leads the film as Rama, while Pallavi portrays Sita. Yash plays Ravana, Sunny Deol appears as Hanuman (only seen in Part 2) and Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman.

The supporting cast includes several established names, adding further scale to the production. Dubey recently spoke publicly about working with Kapoor and praised his approach to the role. His comments came amid continuing online discussion surrounding the casting of the principal characters. Kunal Kapoor, who plays Indra Dev, has spoken about the criticism that has emerged online concerning elements such as costumes and visual presentation. He indicated that he prefers to concentrate on the work rather than respond to every social-media reaction.  The promotional plans also underline the international ambitions surrounding ‘Ramayana’.  

The project has also attracted international attention because of its technical collaborators. DNEG and Prime Focus are involved in the visual-effects work. Malhotra’s companies worked on ‘Dune’ and ‘Interstellar’. 

The moment of reckoning is fast approaching – anyone and everyone being able to watch the film is only a week away – it will be interesting to see if the English dubbed version is able to break through into the mainstream – there were several mainstream US film influencers and digital media outlets at the premiere in LA earlier this week. 

‘Ramayana: Rise of a Legend’ releases in cinemas on November 5 in the UK

UK promotional activity around the main stars will begin shortly, we understand…keep tuned!