Lord Ram to get Major Cinematic Tribute

After the landmark occasion of the Ram Mandir’s inauguration, devotees can now look forward to a grand film of the Ramayana as well. With Ranbir Kapoor in the title role, so ambitious and large-scale is the movie - with the highest production values and a top-notch cast and crew - that the public will have to wait till late 2025 for its release. Preliminary work for this celluloid tribute to one of Hinduism's most revered deities began several months ago. But in October last year, director Nitesh Tiwari announced that the blue print for the project was ready. 

One can expect nothing short of a big-budget and high-grossing spectacle from the accomplished filmmaker. After all, Tiwari was the main force behind Indian cinema’s largest ever earning film - Dangal (2016), for which he went on to win the Filmfare Best Director Award. And with having brought on board the Oscar-winning visual effects company DNEG, it is clear that Tiwari is not settling for any half measures in realising his brainchild. Yes, the Bhoonath Returns director aims to far outdo the look and feel of the 1980s Ramayana TV serial, as fondly as the Ramanand Sagar production might remain in our memory.

But the dazzling visuals embellishments will, according to Tiwari, be a secondary asset. He adds that simple story-telling and the profound interaction between the characters will take centre-stage. And so, the Chhichchore director has compiled a cast that is guaranteed to do justice to the material. Apart from Ranbir, prolific Tamil stars Sai Pallavi and Vijay Sethupathi have been roped in to portray Maa Sita and Vibhishana, respectively. Meanwhile, Yash, who has 21 Kannada films to his credit, will essay the role of Ravana. Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi and Sunny Deol as Hanuman, round off the all-Indian cast. Interestingly, Alia Bhatt was called upon to play Sita, but had to decline for reasons unknown.

So, when does this cinematic extravaganza officially go into production? Well, according to reliable sources, shooting is to commence in March this year and wrap up in July. But what follows is a prolonged and arduous post-production schedule, which is expected to stretch across a mammoth 500 days. Editing, the finishing touches and promotion, will add on several weeks. Hence, the pushed-back released date. But going by the buzz surrounding Ramayana, it is going to be every bit worth the wait. And with such talent involved, the final product is sure to induce a smile from Lord Ram Himself.