Ahead of the trailer’s world premiere on July 24, a special preview event for ‘Ramayana’ was held at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam today, bringing together the film’s team. Among those who addressed the gathering was the poet and lyricist Dr. Kumar Vishwaswho wrote the lyrics for the film’s soundtrack in collaboration with composers AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer.
Kumar Vishwas remembers Ranbir Kapoor the innocent asks
Speaking at the event, Kumar shared an anecdote about Ranbir Kapoor, who plays Lord Ram in the film, once asking him a question about the character. He described the exchange thus: “Bahut achha sawaal baar-baar doosre. Mujhe aaj bhi itna innocent tareeke se unhone mujhse poochha, ‘Sir, ek chhoti si baat poochhoon?’ Maine kaha, ‘Poochho.’ “Ram Bhagwan hain ya manushya hain?” Aur usko samjhaane ke liye jo hamara lagbhag ek ghante ka vaartaalaap hua, uske baad maine unse poochha, ‘Kya samjhe? Ram Bhagwan hain ya manushya hain? To dishonor kaha, ‘Lord, main samajh gaya hoon. Ram sab kuchh hain.'”(Someone asked a very good question. Even today, I remember how innocently they asked me, “Sir, can I ask a small question?” I said, “Go ahead.” “Is Lord Ram God or is he a human?” After the conversation we had, which lasted almost an hour, to explain it, I asked, “What did you understand, or I, is he human, Ram?”. It is understood. Ram is everything.”
Kumar Vishwas collaborates with AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer
Kumar has penned the lyrics for the ‘Ramayana’ soundtrack, marking a unique collaboration with Oscar winners AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer, who are joining forces to compose music for an Indian film for the first time. This partnership was announced on July 9. AR Rahman has praised Kumar Vishwas for bringing an “unparalleled command of the language” and a “deep cultural understanding of the Ramayana” to the project, noting that his words “elevate” the music rather than simply complement it.
Kumar Vishwas’ ‘Ramayana’ is an epic in two parts
‘Ramayana’, a two-part adaptation of the ancient Indian epic, is directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Namit Malhotra of Prime Focus Studios. It follows the story of Shri Ram as the prince of Ayodhya, covering his exile and eventual clash with Ravana. Made on a budget of around Rs 4,000 crore, the film will release in two parts: Part 1 on Diwali 2026 and Part 2 on Diwali 2027. The visual effects have been handled by DNEG, the Oscar-winning studio behind ‘Dune’ and ‘Interstellar’, with both parts shot for IMAX screens.
The star cast of Kumar Vishwas’ ‘Ramayana’
Ranbir Kapoor takes on the role of Shri Ram and dubs as Lord Parshuram in a second part. Sai Pallavi essays Sita, Yash portrays Ravana, Sunny Deol plays Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey takes on the role of Lakshman. The ensemble cast also includes Arun Govil as King Dashrath, Kajal Aggarwal like Mandoda, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Rakul Preet Singh as Surpanakha, with Amitabh Bachchan lending his voice to Jatayu.