Ramayana: Part I is set to be one of the biggest movies of 2026. Its massive budget, star-studded cast, and mind-shattering VFX are just a few of the selling points. Most importantly, it’s covering one of the two most famous Indian epics, a story that is incredibly important to Indian culture and to Hindu practice. Indian children are told from a very young age about the story of the Ramayana and the moral example it sets—of the ideal way to love a partner or a friend, for instance.
But this movie isn’t just for people from India. Its visual appeal and lasting lessons make it universally appealing, even for people who have no context for why the Ramayana is so important and requires such a gargantuan budget. Westerners have the opportunity to learn for themselves about this epic tale on the big screen, and we want to give you a breakdown of what the Ramayana is and why you should see it.
Here are eight things you need to know about what might be the next cinematic smash hit.
The basic plot.
In the kingdom of Ayodhya, King Dasharatha and his three wives have yet to bear a child, but after a series of prayers and rituals, they are blessed by four children, including Rama who is believed to be a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu. Rama then meets Sita and the two quickly fall in love. Then, the demon king Ravana, compelled by Sita’s beauty, abducts her, and Rama is forced to fight to win her back.
The budget is $420 million.
This is the biggest budget in Indian film history. This enormous budget isn’t a surprise considering the movie’s cast and how it looks in the latest trailer.
The score was composed by Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.
This movie marks Zimmer’s real debut in Indian cinema, although he did contribute a song to Fateh. Zimmer is also collaborating with Oscar award-winner and Indian cinema legend A.R. Rahman. Rahman actually admitted he was “terrified” to score this movie considering its international importance.
The cast is headlined by Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash.
The Ramayana cast is one of the biggest in Indian film history, which is only fitting for a two-art, sprawling tale featuring many, many characters. In addition to the lead actors, the film displays the talent of stars like Sunny Deol, Ravi Dubey, Amitabh Bachchan, and Anupam Kher.
The VFX are next-level.
Double Negative (also known as DNEG) has helped create the VFX for some of most visually impressive movies of all time including Harry Potter, James Bond, and Godzilla. To make things even crazier, DNEG is implementing the 86-camera system used on Interstellar, and supposedly, the team is looking to make Avatar-style effects.
Scholars and pundits directly advised on the film’s script.
Director Natash Tiwari and screenwriter Shridhar Raghavan wanted this movie to be as accurate as possible, while still being accessible to modern audiences. Every slight deviation from the original legend was carefully considered and delicately written.
The production team commissioned local painters for references.
For everything from the costumes to the VFX to the set work, this movie is paying careful attention to detail. To do so, they film team recruited local painters from all over India to see how the Ramayana is truly depicted across regions.
Part II is not that far away.
Set to time up with Diwali, Part II of this movie is slated for release in October 2027. Apparently, the creatives behind this massive project didn’t want to keep us waiting for what will surely be a highly-anticipated sequel.
