A remarkable piece of Hindi cinema history has come alive again with Ramayana. As the first official glimpse of Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological epic arrived on Hanuman Jayanti 2026, the film brought with it more than just anticipation around Ranbir Kapoor’s turn as Lord Ram. It revived a family legacy that stretches back 92 years, to a time when Prithviraj Kapoor played the same revered character on screen in Seeta.
That generational echo gives Ramayana an emotional weight few films can claim. Ranbir stepping into Lord Ram’s role is not just a major casting moment for one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, it also reconnects the Kapoor family to one of Indian cinema’s earliest mythological milestones, creating a rare bridge between a landmark talkie and one of the most ambitious Indian films now in production.
Hanuman Jayanti Reveal Sets The Stage For A Grand Launch
That sense of history now flows directly into the film’s public rollout. On April 2, 2026, the makers chose Hanuman Jayanti for the unveiling of the teaser, titled Rama, turning the first official reveal into an event with both devotional and cinematic significance. The teaser received a U certificate from the CBFC, with a confirmed runtime of 2 minutes and 38 seconds.
Producer Namit Malhotra had first signalled the campaign on Rama Navami, when he wrote, “Shubh Rama Navami. This is a story that belongs to all of us, and every step we take has been guided by a deep sense of responsibility, devotion, and care to bring our very own Ramayana to life in its truest spirit and scale with utmost sincerity.”
He then confirmed the next step in the rollout by adding, “We look forward to sharing the next glimpse, ‘Rama’ on 2nd April, on the auspicious occasion of Hanuman Jayanti, as we begin to showcase all these years of our effort through a grand world reveal with fans, celebrating this moment across the world.” Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash, Sunny Deol and Ravie Dubey, with the story planned as a two-part event for Diwali 2026 and Diwali 2027.
From Seeta To Ramayana, A Kapoor Legacy Returns To Lord Ram
What makes this casting resonate beyond routine star curiosity is the long shadow of Seeta. Directed by Debaki Bose and produced by East India Film Company, the 1933 film stood among the formative achievements of Indian talkie cinema. A year later, it became the first Indian talkie to be shown at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received an honorary diploma.
At the heart of that landmark film was Prithviraj Kapoor as Lord Ram, opposite Durga Khote as Sita. The cast also included Gul Hamid and Trilok Kapoor. Nearly a century later, Ranbir Kapoor takes on the same role in a radically different filmmaking landscape, one shaped by large-scale visual world-building, pan-Indian casting and global audience reach.
Why This Role Could Mark A New Screen Phase For Ranbir Kapoor
For Ranbir Kapoor, Ramayana arrives at an especially interesting moment in his career. He has played romantic leads, conflicted drifters and darker anti-heroes, but Lord Ram demands an entirely different screen language, one built on restraint, moral clarity and spiritual gravitas. That shift alone makes the performance one of the most closely watched of his career.
The film’s two-part design also raises the stakes. Contemporary mythological spectacles are judged not only on casting, but on visual conviction, emotional scale and how successfully they balance reverence with mainstream storytelling. With Ramayana, audience expectations will extend far beyond curiosity over first looks. The real test will be whether the film can turn one of India’s most familiar epics into a cinematic event that feels both timeless and new.
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