Ramayana Sets Oct. 27 World Premiere at Academy Museum
Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor and Yash, premieres Oct. 27 at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles in 3D for 945 guests, ahead of its Nov. 5 release.
Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, with Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Yash as Ravana, will hold its world premiere in Los Angeles on the evening of Oct. 27, at the David Geffen Theatre of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. Hindustan Times, which reported the plan as an exclusive on Oct. 18, says the makers have officially announced it. The screening comes nine days before the film's worldwide theatrical release on Nov. 5. Here is what has been announced, what is only reported, and what is still unknown.
The venue and the guest list
Hindustan Times reports that the premiere will be held in the evening at the Academy Museum, an institution dedicated to the history, art and science of filmmaking. The film will be screened in 3D. The Hollywood Reporter India describes the event as an invite-only screening meant to introduce the epic to a global audience.
Several outlets, including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, DNA and Times Now, put the expected audience at 945 guests. The Hollywood Reporter India says that figure is the auditorium's maximum capacity. According to these reports, the guests will include Hollywood personalities, filmmakers, international press and members of the film fraternity. No names from the guest list have been made public in the coverage we found, and none of the reports say which members of the cast will walk the red carpet.
Hindustan Times calls Ramayana one of the few Indian films to hold its world premiere at the museum. We could not find an official count of such premieres, so that description is best read as the paper's own.
A Diwali dress code in Los Angeles
The premiere falls in the run-up to Diwali, and the makers are leaning into the timing. Guests have been asked to come in traditional Indian festive attire for their red carpet appearances, according to Hindustan Times, The Hollywood Reporter India and Times Now. The Times of India describes the plan as a Diwali-themed celebration.
The Hollywood Reporter India links the choice of venue to the crew. It notes that Hans Zimmer and A R Rahman, both Oscar-winning composers, are working together for the first time on this project, and that the visual effects come from DNEG, which it says has won the Academy Award for visual effects eight times.
Who made it, and who releases it
Ramayana is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios in collaboration with DNEG and Yash's Monster Mind Creations, according to Hindustan Times and The Hollywood Reporter India. It is planned as a two-part film. The first part is due in cinemas worldwide on Nov. 5, 2026, and the second part during Diwali 2027.
The film will release in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, with an IMAX release as well, the reports say. Sony Pictures will handle distribution outside India, while Dharma Productions will distribute the film in the Hindi-speaking market, according to Hindustan Times, The Times of India and DNA. The Hollywood Reporter India uses the title Ramayana: Rise of Legend in its report on the film's posters, while Times Now refers to the first instalment as Ramayana: Part 1.
A cast drawn from across Indian cinema
Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram, Sai Pallavi plays Sita and Yash plays Ravana, with Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Ravi Dubey as Lakshman. Hindustan Times lists an ensemble that also includes Anupam Kher, Kajal Aggarwal, Rakul Preet Singh, Vivek Oberoi, Kunal Kapoor, Adinath Kothare, Arun Govil, Indira Krishnan and Lara Dutta.
The cast brings together names from Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu cinema, which suits a film releasing in five Indian languages. Times Now says the first part traces Ram's life from his early years and marriage to Sita through the 14-year exile, and is expected to end with Sita's abduction, leaving the battle for the sequel.
The budget question
The premiere also adds to the attention on the film's scale. Hindustan Times reports that Yash, who is also a producer, recently confirmed a combined budget of Rs 4,000 crore for both parts. Speaking at the trailer launch in Bengaluru, he said, as quoted by the paper, "We need to prove the strength of the Indian film industry to the global market."
That figure comes from the makers. It has not been independently verified, and the makers have not released a breakdown.
What is reported but not confirmed
Times Now, citing the Free Press Journal, reports that the makers are planning around 300 prepaid shows ahead of release and that advance bookings may open on Oct. 20. Times Now adds that the makers have yet to announce further details, so both points should be treated as reports until the producers confirm them.
What is on the record is the date, the venue, the 3D screening, the dress code and the Nov. 5 release. Everything else, from the guest list to the cast's travel plans, is still to be announced.
Sources
Cover photo: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Wikimedia Commons, [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shri_Ranbir_Kapoor_being_felicitated_at_55th_IFFI,_in_Goa_on_November_24,_2024_%281%29.jpg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shri_Ranbir_Kapoor_being_felicitated_at_55th_IFFI,_in_Goa_on_November_24,_2024_%281%29.jpg) (GODL-India).