Ramayana international trailer pits Ranbir Kapoor's Rama against Yash's Ravana

The international trailer of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana is out, setting Ranbir Kapoor's Rama against Yash's Ravana weeks before the film opens worldwide on November 5. Overseas audiences will know it as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend.

In the narration, Rama is humanity's one hope, "not a god, but a man". Ravana sets the tone with a threat: "Before me, every head will bow." Kunal Kapoor turns up as Indra, Sai Pallavi plays Sita, and Ranbir's Rama gives the stakes in one line: "If I don't stop him, the world will fall." Ravana has the last word, warning that this is just the beginning.

Producer Namit Malhotra wrote on X that the dream had always been to take one of India's greatest stories to the world. He added that Sony Pictures was starting its international campaign for the film. Tiwari and Yash also signed the note.

Criticism of the visual effects followed the first trailer. Ranbir answered it in an interview, saying some viewers assume a film's CG was made with AI, when "artists are working for years" on it. Tiwari said some VFX sequences took two and a half to three years. He also said that when someone is set on nitpicking, "your best effort will be ignored, and your smallest mistake will be amplified."

The makers have promised releases in 3D, IMAX and other premium large formats. Reports say a second part will follow the next year.