‘Ramayana: Part 1’ is one of the most awaited movies of the year. The makers have recently unveiled the first look of the Rama teaser Ranbir KapoorAt an event held in LA and Mumbai. As the film has become the talk of the Internet, director Nitesh Tiwari has shared that his film adaptation will present Ravana in a more layered and humanized way, instead of portraying him as a one-dimensional antagonist. For those who don’t know, ‘KGF’ star Yash will play Raavan in the film. According to the filmmaker, Yash’s portrayal will highlight not only Ravana’s dark qualities but also his virtues, such as his devotion to Lord Shiva, his musical prowess and his qualities as a capable ruler — while showing how ego and anger ultimately lead to his downfall.Nitesh told Collider at the film’s teaser launch in Los Angeles, “See, Ravana had so many facets to his life. He was a great warrior, a great musician, a sage, a benevolent king…a great devotee of Shiva. He had a lot more going for him than just being a black character.”He further explained his reasoning by adding, “…It is very important for us to show all these parts and aspects of Ravana because there is a very important lesson hidden in them. You can have all these great qualities, but if you are ruled by revenge and driven by ego, then you know what the end result will be. There is a great lesson.”At the same event, Ranbir Kapoor also spoke about Yash getting into the role of Ravana, praising his screen presence. “Yash, of course, has the lead. To play Ravana, you need someone with an aura and screen presence. Ravana’s performance is very different from what we’ve seen over the years. I think it’s something that the audience will really enjoy seeing on the big screen.”Interestingly, Yash is also backing the project as a producer. Speaking about his involvement in April 2025, he told Variety, “It’s been a long-term desire of mine to make films that will showcase Indian cinema globally. I was in LA looking to partner with one of the best VFX studios, and to my surprise, the person behind it was an Indian.”He also explained how his collaboration with producer Namit Malhotra came together: “Namit (Malhotra, producer) and I had several brainstorming sessions, and coincidentally, our synergy about our vision for Indian cinema aligned perfectly. We came up with several projects, and in these discussions the subject of ‘Ramayana’ came up. Namit had a part in the works.’Features ‘Ramayana: Part 1’ Sai Pallavi As Sita, Yash as Raavan, Sunny Deol as Hanuman, and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman, besides Ranbir as Lord Rama. The first part is slated for a global release in Diwali 2026, with the second part expected to follow in Diwali 2027.
