Ramayana: Part 1 hits cinemas November 5 – U certificate, 195 minutes, Ranbir vs Yash
Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1, with Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Yash as Ravana, opens worldwide on November 5 in five languages, with a U certificate and a 195-minute runtime.
Clear your Thursday. Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1 – Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama, Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita – opens in cinemas worldwide on November 5, a few days ahead of Diwali. The CBFC has cleared it with a U certificate, the runtime is a hefty 195 minutes, and advance bookings that opened on Dussehra had already crossed ₹40 crore worldwide by the end of October. In short, the biggest Indian film of the year is almost here, and it wants your whole evening.
The cast, the crew and the very big budget energy
The film is produced by Namit Malhotra's Prime Focus Studios with DNEG – the visual effects giant Malhotra founded and runs – and Yash's own Monster Mind Creations. Ranbir plays Rama, Yash takes on the ten-headed king of Lanka, Sai Pallavi is Sita, Ravie Dubey plays Lakshman and Sunny Deol steps in as Hanuman. Yes, Sunny Deol as Hanuman. You may now picture the dhai kilo ka haath holding a mountain.
The music deserves its own headline: the score is by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman, with T-Series presenting the soundtrack. Hollywood's most famous composer and India's own Mozart of Madras on one mythological epic? The sound system at your local multiplex is about to earn its ticket price.
Where, how and in which language
Ramayana: Part 1 releases in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, so it is a genuinely all-India release rather than a Hindi film with dubs bolted on later. It is coming out across premium formats including IMAX, and the CBFC certificate lists it in 3D.
Distribution is split sensibly: Dharma Productions handles the Hindi-speaking markets, while Sony Pictures takes the film overseas, where it is being sold as Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. That international push matters – this is one of the rare Indian films being positioned by a Hollywood studio as a global event, not just a diaspora release.
Three hours and fifteen minutes – plan accordingly
A 195-minute runtime means this is not a quick post-dinner show. With an interval, you are looking at close to three and a half hours inside the hall. Book the earlier show if you have work the next morning, eat before you go, and do not be the guy who walks out for popcorn during the big fight. The U certificate also means the whole family can come along – handy, given Diwali is around the corner and someone is going to suggest a family outing anyway.
And this is only half the story
Tiwari has made the epic as two films. Ramayana: Part 1 covers the first half; Part 2 is scheduled for Diwali 2027. The makers have pitched it from the start as Indian storytelling made for the world – "From India / For The World" is literally the tagline on the producer's own page.
The FHM take
Indian cinema has tried the Ramayana on a big budget before and stumbled, so the bar is both low and very high at once. What makes this one different is the team: a director known for grounded, crowd-pleasing storytelling, a world-class VFX house, Zimmer and Rahman on the music, and a cast that actually looks the part. The booking numbers say India is curious. Our advice: pick IMAX if you can, go early, and judge it on the big screen – a film this size was never meant for your phone.
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